Progress in Medicinal Chemistry Vol. 42

This volume includes information on recent advances in five important areas: an account of inhibitors of the caspase family of proteolytic enzymes that represent a new class of anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic agents of potential value in rheumatoid arthritis; and a survey of semi-synthetic and totally synthetic antibiotics and anti-HIV agents and their sites of interaction; the development of inhibitors of the intracellular enzyme acyl-CoA: cholesterol O-acyltransferase (ACAT) for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia; a description of recent progress in growth hormone secretagogues, with the focus on strategies to improve oral bioavailability and duration of action; and information on inhibition of the proteolytic enzyme, hepatitis C protease N-3(NS3), (required for vital replication) as one of the most attractive targets for HCV infections. Content: site thiol attacks, nicotinamide binding pocket, potent antidiabetic activity, sympathetic vasoconstriction evoked, guinea pig vena cava, reduced affinity relative, epothilone analogues, pyridyl ethers, osteoclast resorption assay, dose dependently antagonized, epibatidine analogues, bone resorption assay, nicotine analogues, other cathepsins, anaesthetized pig, cathepsin inhibitors, dual agonists, nicotinic agents, bulk tolerance, sympathetic vasoconstrictor responses, nicotinic ligands, pyridine nitrogen atom, active site thiol, micromolar inhibitor, nanomolar inhibitor