Many new antileukotriene drugs are now marketed as antiasthma drugs and represent the first new drugs in this field since the 1970s. This book covers the steps that have led to the discovery and development of these new drugs and offers detailed descriptions of their clinical applications. The review chapters on the main aspects of basic and applied leukotriene research are written by leading specialists in the field, and the volume takes a new approach in presenting information of particular interest to both scientists and clinicians in the fields of asthma, inflammation and allergic diseases.

Proceedings of a NATO ASI held in Erice, Italy, April 27-May 1, 1995.

The International Symposium on Prostaglandins and Related Compounds, first held in Vienna 1972, revisited the city after 24 years for the 10TH Symposium. For the many re searchers working in this multi-disciplinary field it was an opportunity to exchange their ex periences and share new data with colleagues from all around the world. This scientific exchange was largely encouraged by the unseasonably cold and rainy weather. For the first time, there was quite a large attendance from the former Communist countries. Eugene Garfield prepared a key note address delivered during the meeting (The Sci entist 1996, 12) reviewing the contribution of the Nobel Laureates U.S. von Euler, l.R. Vane, S.K. Bergstrom, and B.I. Samuelsson, discussing the relevance of the more than 40,000 pa pers in this area published since 1991. Overall, there is still a rapidly growing interest, and in particular a great variety of clinical applications of this family of compounds which were dis cussed in detail during the meeting. Beside the lectures there were 19 workshops covering nearly all the topics of key in terest. All the speakers were invited to prepare a manuscript which has resulted in the volume now in your hands. Special thanks to Dr. Patrick Wong and the new publisher of this series who helped to publish the proceedings in the usual quality and reasonable period of time. Looking forward to seeing all of you again in Florence in 1999, hopefully with much more sun."

The 11th international Conference on ADVANCES IN PROSTAGLANDIN AND LEUKOTRIENE RESEARCH: BASICSCIENCEANDNEWCLlNICALApPLlCA TIONS was held, as in the past, in Florence, Italy, on June 4-8, 2000. A selection of lectures presented at the meeting is included in this volume, which continues the tradition of covering both basic and clinical aspects of prostaglandin and leukotriene research. At this meeting particular emphasis was given to the lipid mediator circuits of lipoxin and leukotrienes and to the expression ofthe COX2 gene. The plenary lectures by C.N. Serhan (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) and H.R. Herschman (Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.) were devoted to these areas, while S. Narumiya (Kyoto, Japan) and J.M. Drazen (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) presented the latest advances in the fields ofprostanoid receptors and the genetics of asthma. Specific sessions focused on vascular physiopathology, cell differentiation and cancer, and the cardiovascular system. Lipoxygenases were discussed in detail at the molecular and cellular levels and attention was given to signal transduction pathways for leukotrienes and prostanoids. K.F. Austen (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) and T. Izumi (Tokyo, Japan) clarified the role and regulation ofLTC synthase ofleukotriene biosynthesis. Other important sessions 4 described regulation and control of nitric oxide, cannabimimetic eicosanoids, and the roles of eicosanoids in neuroscience. Applied clinical sessions devoted to the respiratory system and inflammation, including cyclooxygenase pathways, concluded the meeting.

Proceedings of a NATO ASI held in Erice, Italy, April 27-May 1, 1995.

The International Symposium on Prostaglandins and Related Compounds, first held in Vienna 1972, revisited the city after 24 years for the 10TH Symposium. For the many re searchers working in this multi-disciplinary field it was an opportunity to exchange their ex periences and share new data with colleagues from all around the world. This scientific exchange was largely encouraged by the unseasonably cold and rainy weather. For the first time, there was quite a large attendance from the former Communist countries. Eugene Garfield prepared a key note address delivered during the meeting (The Sci entist 1996, 12) reviewing the contribution of the Nobel Laureates U.S. von Euler, l.R. Vane, S.K. Bergstrom, and B.I. Samuelsson, discussing the relevance of the more than 40,000 pa pers in this area published since 1991. Overall, there is still a rapidly growing interest, and in particular a great variety of clinical applications of this family of compounds which were dis cussed in detail during the meeting. Beside the lectures there were 19 workshops covering nearly all the topics of key in terest. All the speakers were invited to prepare a manuscript which has resulted in the volume now in your hands. Special thanks to Dr. Patrick Wong and the new publisher of this series who helped to publish the proceedings in the usual quality and reasonable period of time. Looking forward to seeing all of you again in Florence in 1999, hopefully with much more sun."

The 11th international Conference on ADVANCES IN PROSTAGLANDIN AND LEUKOTRIENE RESEARCH: BASICSCIENCEANDNEWCLlNICALApPLlCA TIONS was held, as in the past, in Florence, Italy, on June 4-8, 2000. A selection of lectures presented at the meeting is included in this volume, which continues the tradition of covering both basic and clinical aspects of prostaglandin and leukotriene research. At this meeting particular emphasis was given to the lipid mediator circuits of lipoxin and leukotrienes and to the expression ofthe COX2 gene. The plenary lectures by C.N. Serhan (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) and H.R. Herschman (Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.) were devoted to these areas, while S. Narumiya (Kyoto, Japan) and J.M. Drazen (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) presented the latest advances in the fields ofprostanoid receptors and the genetics of asthma. Specific sessions focused on vascular physiopathology, cell differentiation and cancer, and the cardiovascular system. Lipoxygenases were discussed in detail at the molecular and cellular levels and attention was given to signal transduction pathways for leukotrienes and prostanoids. K.F. Austen (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) and T. Izumi (Tokyo, Japan) clarified the role and regulation ofLTC synthase ofleukotriene biosynthesis. Other important sessions 4 described regulation and control of nitric oxide, cannabimimetic eicosanoids, and the roles of eicosanoids in neuroscience. Applied clinical sessions devoted to the respiratory system and inflammation, including cyclooxygenase pathways, concluded the meeting.

Many new antileukotriene drugs are now marketed as antiasthma drugs and represent the first new drugs in this field since the 1970s. This book covers the steps that have led to the discovery and development of these new drugs and offers detailed descriptions of their clinical applications. The review chapters on the main aspects of basic and applied leukotriene research are written by leading specialists in the field, and the volume takes a new approach in presenting information of particular interest to both scientists and clinicians in the fields of asthma, inflammation and allergic diseases.