Abstract

Intracellular cell signaling is a well understood process. However, extracellular signals such as hormones, adipokines, cytokines and neurotransmitters are just as important but have been largely ignored in other works. They are causative agents for diseases including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis so offer new, and often more approachable, targets for drug design. Aimed at medical professionals and pharmaceutical specialists, this book integrates extracellular and intracellular signalling processes and offers a fresh perspective on new drug targets. Written by colleagues at the same institution, but with contributions from leading international authorities, it is the result of close cooperation between the authors of different chapters. Readers are introduced to a new approach to disease causation by adipokines and toxic lipids. Heart disease, migraines, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cancer, and arthritis are approached from the perspective of prevention and treatment by alteration of extracellular signalling. Evidence is presented that the avoidance of toxic lifestyles can reduce the incidence of such illnesses and new therapeutic targets involving adipokines, ceramide and endocannabinoids are discussed.
James David Adams, Jr. has over 160 peer reviewed publications and abstracts to his name and has written two books. He is the Editor of several journals and has reviewed many manuscripts for journals and grant applications. Dr Adams received his PhD in Pharmacology from the University of California at San Francisco and has 22 years of experience as a faculty member in a School of Pharmacy. He has taught many Pharmacy Students, Medical Students and Physicians in Hospitals and consulted for various Pharmaceutical Companies. An undergraduate degree in Psychology at Montana State University triggered Keith K. Parker's interest in the nervous system and led to graduate work in pharmacology at UCSF, where he completed his Ph.D. He then undertook two post-doctoral research posts in Denver. The first was at the Department of Pharmacology in the University of Colorado Health Science Center, and the second was at the University of Denver Department of Chemistry. He has been at The University of Montana since 1993 and is an expert on serotonin receptors and migraine headaches.