Books in the Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology series

This book reflects the state of the art of our understanding of the WNT signaling system, which comprises a network of signaling pathways initiated by the secreted WNT lipoglycoproteins, which are crucial for embryonal development, stem cell regulation, tissue homeostasis and repair. Dysfunction of this evolutionarily conserved signaling system leads to many diseases including developmental disorders, diverse forms of cancer, fibrosis, neurodegenerative disease and many more. The WNT signaling system is built upon 19 mammalian, secreted WNT lipoglycoproteins that interact with a plethora of distinct receptors, such as the G protein-coupled receptors called Frizzleds (FZD1-10), LDL receptor-like proteins (LRP5/6), receptor tyrosine kinases (ROR1, 2, RYK and PTK7). In addition, WNT pathways are tightly regulated by many secreted and cell-intrinsic negative regulators, such as soluble FZD-related proteins (SFRPs), Dickkopfs (DKKs), WNT-inhibitory proteins, TIKI, RNF43 and more. Understanding the basic mechanism in terms of receptor-ligand interaction, receptor selectivity, signal initiation and desensitization remain poorly understood, even though substantial advances have been made the recent years. Due to the involvement of the WNT signaling system in human disease, it appears obvious to target diverse branches pharmacologically and therapeutically. However, given the complexity of the system and its importance for stem cell regulation and tissue maintenance, therapy comes with obvious risks for severe side effects. The field is addressing the challenge to identify suitable targets and selective compounds for therapy allowing disease-selective therapeutic effects and balancing unwanted side effects. This book summarizes the current understanding of the basic and applied pharmacology in the WNT signaling system and bridges disciplines such as pharmacology, physiology, neurosciences, oncology and drug development.

The purpose of this book is to provide a broad scope of substance use disorder research and how these findings can impact treatment outcomes. The research and outcomes described in this book represent important principles related to identifying and understanding factors related to substance use disorders.

Lipids are an integral part of cell membrane architecture, are intermediaries in cell metabolism, and are involved in transmitting cell signals from hormones, growth factors and nutrients.

This volume is designed to provide an understanding of current and potential therapies for osteoporosis. Several following chapters describe factors affecting bone including systemic hormones with significant effects on bone, and local mediators including growth factors, prostaglandins, cytokines and chemokines.

This book focusses on the latest results related to the field of bile acids as signaling molecules and describes how these receptors have become a major pharmacological target.

This open access book, published under a CC BY 4.0 license in the Pubmed indexed book series Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, provides up-to-date information on best practice to improve experimental design and quality of research in non-clinical pharmacology and biomedicine.

Further attention is paid to the drug discovery pathway where recent findings show the beneficial effect of small molecule antagonists of the CGRP receptors for the relief of the migraine attack and of monoclonal antibodies against CGRP or the CGRP receptor for migraine prevention.

The aim of this book is not only to introduce readers with a broad spectrum of biological actions of the NOP receptor, but also to feature a detailed look at the N/OFQ-NOP receptor system, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical data of NOP-targeted ligands.

In addition, the topic of rare diseases and special challenges for pharmacotherapy will be included and will provide readers with the necessary knowledge to handle complex diseases and treatment strategies especially in relation to pharmacotherapy of rare and orphan diseases.

The purpose of this book is to provide a broad scope of substance use disorder research and how these findings can impact treatment outcomes. The research and outcomes described in this book represent important principles related to identifying and understanding factors related to substance use disorders.

Lipids are an integral part of cell membrane architecture, are intermediaries in cell metabolism, and are involved in transmitting cell signals from hormones, growth factors and nutrients.

Celebrating 100 years of HEP, this volume will discuss key pharmacological discoveries and concepts of the past 100 years. These discoveries have dramatically changed the medical treatment paradigms of many diseases and these concepts have and will continue to shape discovery of new medicinies.

This volume of the Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology features contributions from recognized experts on the actions of different xanthines, focusing on caffeine and theophylline. There is a special chapter on theobromine, an active component of chocolate.

This open access book, published under a CC BY 4.0 license in the Pubmed indexed book series Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, provides up-to-date information on best practice to improve experimental design and quality of research in non-clinical pharmacology and biomedicine.

This volume describes our current understanding of the biological role of the delta-opioid receptor (DOR) system, focusing on its unique mechanisms of receptor trafficking and signaling in disease states. Part 1 covers the endogenous ligands that regulate the DOR system as well as novel compounds and therapies used to modulate the DOR system.

Among the topics discussed are the structural basis of Na+ channel function, methodological advances in the study of Na+ channels, their pathophysiology and drugs and toxins interactions with these channels and their associated channelopathies.

Towards this goal, authors provide a timely state-of-the-art overview of the GI tract in health and disease, current treatment approaches and ongoing developments in drug discovery, and their potential for the better treatment of patients with GI disorders.

Lastly, the book will present important methodological aspects ranging from mass-spectrometric methods for cyclic nucleotide detection to the synthesis of nucleotide analogs as experimental tools and holistic methods for analysis of cyclic nucleotide effects.

This volume reviews the known neurobiology of depression and combines classic data on antidepressant treatments with modern theory on the physiology of depression. It also discusses novel mechanism of action drugs.

This volume is designed to feature the pharmacology of new psychoactive substances, legislative aspects, information exchange including epidemiology, and clinical, forensic, and analytical toxicology in order to facilitate the understanding of this complex and rapidly developing phenomenon.

A major objective of this book is to reveal unprecedented opportunities to understand and overcome drug resistance through the clinical assessment of rational therapeutic drug combinations and the use of predictive and prognostic biomarkers to enable patient stratification and tailor treatments.

This volume connects current ideas and concepts about sleep functions and circadian rhythms with the search for novel target-selective sleep-wake therapeutics. To do so, it provides a timely, state-of-the-art overview of sleep-wake mechanisms in health and disease, ongoing developments in drug discovery, and their prospects for the clinical treatment of sleep-disordered patients. It particularly focuses on the concept that sleep and wakefulness mutually affect each other, and the future therapeutic interventions with either sleep- or wake-promoting agents that are expected to not only improve the quality of sleep but also the waking behavior, cognition, mood and other sleep-associated physiological functions.The chapter 'Sleep Physiology, Circadian Rhythms, Waking Performance and the Development of Sleep-Wake Therapeutics' available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com

This special issue of the Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology on Heart Failure covers the entire spectrum of the field, from the current understanding and definitions of heart failure, to epidemiology and the importance of co-morbidities, clinical trial design and biomarkers, as well as imaging technologies.

This volume describes our current understanding of the biological role of the delta-opioid receptor (DOR) system, focusing on its unique mechanisms of receptor trafficking and signaling in disease states. Part 1 covers the endogenous ligands that regulate the DOR system as well as novel compounds and therapies used to modulate the DOR system.

There is currently considerable interest in the development of medicines that would enhance endocannabinoid-induced "autoprotection", for example through inhibition of endocannabinoid metabolizing enzymes or cellular uptake processes or that would oppose endocannabinoid-induced "autoimpairment".

Sphingolipids are lipid components of the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells with an important function in signaling mechanisms in the cell. The function of Sphingolipids in cell signaling with regard to infectious and lung diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders are described and treated in distinct parts.

Sphingolipids are lipid components of the plasma membrane in eukaryotic cells. This book on sphingolipids provides insights into the basics of sphingolipid biology and drug development, with a particular emphasis on the sphingolipid derivative ceramide.

Because of their expression on a number of different cell types and in a number of different organ systems they play important roles in specific diseases, including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke, cancer, sepsis, and obesity.