Natural Compounds as Drugs, Volume II (Progress in Drug Research (66))

The use of substances derived from plants, fungi, bacteria and marine organisms has a long tradition in medicine. Together with their derivatives, and synthetic compounds deduced from natural product precursors, they represent a major part of today's pharmaceutical market. In molecular biological research, natural products also play an important role as tool compounds in pathway screening and validation of target identification concepts. They provide innovative opportunities in drug discovery, leading to a detailed understanding of biological pathways and revealing the functions of involved enzymes or receptors. This book highlights the biodiversity-driven approaches which are now of eminent importance in natural products research. It addresses the question why natural products display such a complex chemical information, what makes them often unique and what their characteristics are. Practical questions such as supply of natural substances and production optimization strategies are also covered. The use of drug substances derived from plants, fungi, bacteria, and marine organisms has a long tradition in medicine. Together with their derivatives, and synthetic compounds deduced from natural product precursors, they represent a major part of today's pharmaceutical market. Within the fast developing discipline of molecular biology, natural products also play an important role as tool compounds in pathway screening and validation of target identification concepts. They provide innovative opportunities in drug discovery, leading to a detailed understanding of biological pathways and revealing the functions of involved enzymes or receptors. This book highlights new trends and aspects in natural products research. It discusses the biodiversity-driven approaches which are now of eminent importance in natural products research, addressing the question why natural products display such a complex chemical information, what makes them often unique and what their characteristics are. Practical questions such as supply of natural substances and production optimization strategies are also covered Cover......Page 1 Frontmatter......Page 2 Activation of fungal silent gene clusters: A new avenue to drug discovery......Page 12 Total synthesis studies on macrocyclic pipecolic acid natural products.........Page 23 Application of natural product-oriented synthesis to drug discovery......Page 196 Cheminformatics analysis of natural products: Lessons from nature.........Page 225 Chemical-genetic approaches for exploring the mode of action of natural products......Page 243 Epothilones as lead structures for new anticancer drugs - pharmacology, fermentation, and structure-activity relationships......Page 277 Histone deacetylase inhibitor from microorganisms: the Astellas experience......Page 338 Ascomycete derivative to MS therapeutic: S1P receptor modulator FTY720......Page 362 Artemisinin - an innovative cornerstone for anti-malaria therapy......Page 382 Index......Page 421 Edited By Frank Petersen And René Amstutz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.