Since the last major compendium dedicated to cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) was published over 15 years ago, an enormous amount of progress has occurred in the field. There is great need for a centralized source for key information in this burgeoning and therapeutically important area of medical research. Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases in Health and Disease provides an integrated volume covering PDE biology from genes to organisms. It examines phosphodiesterases as pharmacological targets as well as the development of specific PDE inhibitors as therapeutic agents. With contributions from pioneers in the field, individual chapters describe one of the 11 known mammalian PDE families including the molecular characteristics, structure, function, and traits unique to each. Characteristics of PDEs from lower organisms are also the subject of other chapters since they provide key insights into PDE functions and are also pharmacological targets for treatment of a variety of diseases in humans and domestic animals. Chapters on the current biomedical and therapeutic research on PDEs include studies on gene-targeted knockout strategies and compartmentation in cyclic nucleotide signaling. By unraveling the unique cellular roles for different PDEs, scientists are beginning to open the door to the therapeutic use of PDE inhibitors for the treatment of a number of pathological conditions including asthma and inflammation, pulmonary hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and stroke. By collating current information into a coherent and coordinated perspective, Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases in Health and Disease provides an invaluable reference for industry and clinical scientists and points toward future directions of research and therapeutic advancements in developing selective inhibitors for these various enzymes.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are promising targets for pharmacological intervention. Multiple PDE genes, isoform diversity, selective expression and compartmentation of the isoforms, and an array of conformations of PDE proteins are properties that challenge development of drugs that selectively target this class of enzymes. Novel characteristics of PDEs are viewed as unique opportunities to increase specificity and selectivity when designing novel compounds for certain therapeutic indications. This chapter provides a summary of the major concepts related to the design and use of PDE inhibitors.

This volume contains papers presented at the Ninth International Conference on Second Messengers and Phosphoproteins. Written by leading scientists - including two Nobel Laureates - the papers highlight contemporary advances in the rapidly evolving field of signal transduction. The findings presented are of vital significance to researchers in virtually all biomedical fields, including pharmacology, molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, the neurosciences, and physiology.
The contributors offer new insights into fundamental cell signalling mechanisms and explore the role of these mechanisms in physiological and pathophysiological responses in a variety of systems. Coverage includes many topics that are currently under intensive study, such as growth factors and special signalling systems; protein phosphatases and metabolic pathways; calcium and ion channels; cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP; and receptors and G proteins.