Progress in Drug Research is a prestigious book series which provides extensive expert-written reviews on a wide spectrum of highly topical areas in current pharmaceutical and pharmacological research. It serves as an important source of information for researchers concerned with drug research and all those who need to keep abreast of the many recent developments in the quest for new and better medicines.

Volume 63 of "Progress in Drug Research" is devoted to recent developments in targeted cancer therapy. Significant advances in the fields of molecular and tumor biology over the past decade have led to this exciting new era in c- cer therapeutics with an intensive effort in rationally-designed cancer the- peutic strategies directed against selective molecular targets. These selective approaches may ultimately lead to tailoring treatments to individual patients where molecular biomarkers of sensitivity to therapy are identified, prod- ing better tolerated therapies with less side effects than past experiences with cytotoxic cancer chemotherapy, and reducing cancer to a controlled, chronic state. This volume contains eleven chapters, including updated reviews on a range of targets, such as tumor angiogenesis, apoptosis/cell survival pa- ways, and various inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and histone deacetylases (HDAC). Additional topics, including target validation, polypharmacology and potential synergy of involving multiple targets, antisense approaches, animal models for preclinical development of targeted agents, and obstacles, including development of resistance are also presented. In addition, the p- ticular challenges involved in translating preclinical data to clinical appli- tion are discussed. It gives me great pleasure to present this new volume. I would like to express my gratitude to the chapter authors, to Birkhauser Verlag and, in particular, to Dr. Beatrice Menz and Ms. Gabriele Poppen for their assistance in compiling and editing this volume. April 2005 Richard M. Schultz vii Progress in Drug Research, Vol. 63 (R. M. Schultz, Ed.

Progress in Drug Research is a prestigious book series which provides extensive expert-written reviews on a wide spectrum of highly topical areas in current pharmaceutical and pharmacological research. It serves as an important source of information for researchers concerned with drug research and all those who need to keep abreast of the many recent developments in the quest for new and better medicines.

Contents: V. Zingel, C. Leschke and W. Schunack: Developments in research on histamine (H1) receptor agonists / P.D. Hoeprich: Antifungal chemotherapy / G. de Stevens: The diversity of heterocyclic compounds and their biological activities / R.M. Schultz: Newer antifolate compounds in cancer therapy / P.K. Mehrotra, S. Batra and A.P. Bhadun: Non-steroidal agents for regulation of the menstrual cycle / A.K. Saxena and M. Saxena: Developments in anti-convulsant drugs