This book addresses and dissects the roles and crosstalk mechanisms for the 48 human nuclear receptors (NR) in human health and disease. After a State-of-the-Art introduction by an undisputed and celebrated field leader to provide an overview of the field and its significance, chapters are organized into six sections. The first three sections discuss NR roles in Reproduction & Development, Metabolism and Central Systems. These present to the reader our current understanding of NR signaling in the development and functioning of the reproductive system; the roles in the regulation of energy metabolism; and how NR signaling is more widely integrated into systemic functions from calcium flux to circadian rhythm. The subsequent three sections dissect how aberrant NR functions drive Cancer; how new insights into Genomic Interaction are helping to reveal how NR disruption drives disease; and finally, how Translational Efforts are exploiting this understanding from developing novel NR ligands to establishing how underlying genetic variation impacts NR function. Within these sections the chapters also illustrate emerging understanding of how the epigenome and non-coding genome combine to regulate NR function and impact dysfunction. Increasingly these insights cross-fertilize over cell and disease boundaries and it is unsurprising that NR are being explored in novel and new arenas such as the context of neurological disorders and depression. Thus, there is wide scope for re-purposing of licensed drugs and development of new NR-targeting therapies for a host of conditions and diseases. This unique book brings together many of the leading figures in NR research from across the globe, to discuss emerging roles and their implications for human health and disease. It summarizes the state of the art and shows signposts for future research to further shape this influential field.

Edited by two experts working at the pioneering pharmaceutical company and major global player in hormone-derived drugs, this handbook and reference systematically treats the drug development aspects of all human nuclear receptors, including recently characterized receptors such as PPAR, FXR and LXR. Authors from leading pharmaceutical companies around the world present examples and real-life data from their own work.

This timely volume provides a comprehensive overview of glucocorticoids and their role in regulating many aspects of physiology and their use in the treatment of disease. The book is broken into four sections that begin by giving a general introduction to glucocorticoids and a brief history of the field. The second section will discuss the effects of glucocorticoids on metabolism, while the third section will cover the effects of glucocorticoids on key tissues. The final section will discuss general topics, such as animal models in glucocorticoid research and clinical implications of glucocorticoid research. Featuring chapters from leaders in the field, this volume will be of interest to both researchers and clinicians.

The first of its kind, this reference gives a comprehensive but concise introduction to epigenetics before covering the many interactions between hormone regulation and epigenetics at all levels. The contents are very well structured with no overlaps between chapters, and each one features supplementary material for use in presentations. Throughout, major emphasis is placed on pathological conditions, aiming at the many physiologists and developmental biologists who are familiar with the importance and mechanisms of hormone regulation but have a limited background in epigenetics.

This book highlights the important role free fatty acids (FFA) play as potential drug targets. While FFA have long been considered byproducts of cell metabolism, they are now recognized as ligands that regulate cell and tissue function via G-protein-coupled receptors. At least three receptors have been identified for which FFA appear to be the endogenous ligands.

An overview of the supergene family made up of those nuclear hormone receptors which recognize thyroid and steroid hormones, vitamen D and retinoic acid and which are characterized by their ability to bind both ligands and the genes which respond to them.

Nuclear receptors (NR) are ligand-induced activated transcription factors that are involved in numerous biological processes. Since the 1990's when the first structures were determined by means of X ray diffraction, the number of NR structures has increased considerably. Moreover several 'omics' projects (genomics, pharmcogenomics and proteomics) have opened up great opportunities for the discovery of new targets, the characterization of abnormal protein patterns, the selection of "tailored" drugs and the evaluation of drug efficacy even with a lack of structural data. Furthermore, structure-based drug design, computational methods for in silico screening and nanobiotechnology- based tools are simplifying this time-consuming and money-intensive research of lead compounds and, possibly, new drugs. Biological interactions such as those that occur between a protein and ligand are concerted events where flexible molecules interact. Thus understanding flexibility of large molecules or biological complexes is of primary importance to help define the right model to approximate the reality for drug discovery, virtual screening, food safety analysis, etc. NRs are known as flexible targets, with many structural similarities, in particular for their Ligand Binding Domain: these similarities could be assumed to share behavioural qualities that belong to this class of compounds. Thus to supply a possible, complete and exhaustive answer to questions about the behaviour of NRs, their interactions with new potential drugs, endocrine disruptors such as animal and human food toxins, food additives or industry residuals, it is mandatory to approach the problem from a different point of view: a molecular modelling approach, steered synthesis, and in vitro and in vivo tests, etc. The aim of this book is to provide a state of the art review on investigations into Nuclear Receptors.