Lipoxins Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Biological Activities

The discovery of new structures which display biological activities is always an exciting event in biomedical research. In recent years, advances in this area have occurred at a rapid pace. This is particularly evident in the field of eicosanoid research because of the close interactions between chemists and biomedical researchers. The lipoxins are a new class of lipid-derived oxygenation products, discovered in 1984, which can originate from either arachidonic acid or eicosapentaenoic acid. It is now clear that these compounds can be generated by sequential lipoxygenation of either arachidonic acid or eicosapentaenoic acid within various cells or during cell-cell interactions. Continued research on the total synthesis of these and related compounds, their biosynthesis, biological roles and mechanism(s) of action may contribute to the development of new therapeutic agents. This volume contains chapters from lectures given at the first symposiums devoted to this area held at the 1987 FASEB Meeting in Washington, D.C. entitled "Lipoxins: Biosynthesis and Pharmacology". In addition to chapters from these presentations, several other chapters are included by other investigators who have contributed to this rapidly growing area. It is our intention that this volume represents a complete and up-to-date collection of the most recent information regarding the Lipoxins.