Dimensions In Health Research: Search For The Medicines Of Tomorrow

Dimensions in Health Research: Search for the Medicines of Tomorrow is a collection of papers presented at the 1977 Symposium on Dimensions in Health Research: Search for the Medicines of Tomorrow, held in Basel, Switzerland, sponsored by the Roche Research Foundation for Scientific Exchange and Biomedical Collaboration. This symposium is organized in honor to Professor Alfred Pletscher, a known neurobiologist who led the discovery of drugs for the treatment of various central nervous disorders. This book is organized into three section encompassing 28 chapters. The first section covers the molecular biological aspects of gene expression; the biosynthesis of human interferon; the concept of DNA damage and repair; and the link between advances in molecular genetics and medicine. The second section discusses the pertinent advances in understanding the mechanism of immune system and its components. The third section surveys the trends in pharmacotherapy based on monoaminergic, adenosine triphosphate, gamma-amino butyric acid, amino acid, and peptide mechanisms. This book will prove useful to researchers in the fields of molecular biology, immunology, and neurobiology.

Participants

Preface

Welcoming Address

Introduction

Session I: Molecular Biology Presented

Molecular Events Involved in the Expression of Genetic Information

Introductory Remarks on Molecular Biology

Human Interferon: The Proteins, the mRNA, the Genes, the Future

Discussion

Repair and Expression of DNA Damage

Discussion

Molecular Genetics and the Future of Medicine

Discussion

Session II: Immunology Presented

Introduction to Immunology

Past Achievements and Future Prospects of Applied Immunology-An Introduction

Some Challenges for Practical Immunologists

Lymphocyte Control

Discussion

Application of Recent Discoveries in Immunology

Discussion

Session III: Neurobiology Presented

Neurobiology: Introductory Remarks

Remarks on Neurobiology

Current Trends in Pharmacotherapy Based on Monoaminergic Mechanisms

Evidence for ATP as a Neurotransmitter-Possible Therapeutic Implications

Discussion

GABA as a Neurotransmitter and Target for Drugs

Discussion

Amino Acids and Peptides in CNS-Prospects for Design of Novel Psychotropic Drugs

Discussion

Concluding Remarks

Closing Address

Index