INHIBITION OF NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE - POTENTIAL FOR A NOVEL CLASS OF THERAPEUTIC AGENT

The free-radical gas nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in a wi de and diverse range of physiological processes. As progress is made i n understanding the biological function of NO, there is growing intere st in the possibility that inhibitors of NO synthase (NOS) may be of c linical use in the therapy of certain disease states. The search for n ovel and clinically relevant inhibitors of this enzyme represents a tr uly multidisciplinary approach to drug screening and will no doubt ben efit from the application of recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology.