Methods in Enzymology: Nitric Oxide, Part G (Volume 441)

The Nobel Prize was awarded in Physiology or Medicine in 1998 to Louis J. Ignarro, Robert F. Furchgott and Ferid Murad for demonstrating the signaling properties of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the few gaseous signaling molecules and is a key biological messenger that plays a role in many biological processes. NO research has led to new treatments for treating heart as well as lung diseases, shock and impotence. (Sildenafil, popularly known by the trade name Viagra, enhances signaling through NO pathways.) Scientists are currently testing whether NO can be used to stop the growth of cancerous tumors, since the gas can induce programmed cell death, apoptosis.

This is another “must-have” volume packed with robust methods from authors around the globe. Researchers interested in the detailed biochemistry of NO and its synthesis will have this indispensable volume on their shelves.

• Essential resource for every laboratory involved in NO-related work
• Gathers tried and tested techniques from global labs which eliminates searching through many different sources and avoids pitfalls so the same mistakes are not made over and over
• Aids researchers in the design of medically important therapies for heart disease and cancer

Lester Packer received a PhD in Microbiology and Biochemistry in 1956 from Yale University. In 1961, he joined the University of California at Berkeley serving as Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology until 2000, and then was appointed Adjunct Professor, Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy at the University of Southern California.

Dr Packer received numerous distinctions including three honorary doctoral degrees, several distinguished Professor appointments. He was awarded Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite (Knight of the French National Order of Merit) and later promoted to the rank of Officier. He served as President of the Society for Free Radical Research International (SFRRI), founder and Honorary President of the Oxygen Club of California.

He has edited numerous books and published research; some of the most cited articles have become classics in the field of free radical biology:

Dr Packer is a member of many professional societies and editorial boards. His research elucidated - the Antioxidant Network concept. Exogenous lipoic acid was discovered to be one of the most potent natural antioxidants and placed as the ultimate reductant or in the pecking order of the “Antioxidant Network” regenerating vitamins C and E and stimulating glutathione synthesis, thereby improving the overall cellular antioxidant defense. The Antioxidant Network is a concept addressing the cell’s redox status. He established a world-wide network of research programs by supporting and co-organizing conferences on free radical research and redox biology in Asia, Europe, and America.