Foreword

This first Volume of “Frontiers in Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery” published under the Editorship of Prof. Atta-ur-Rahman and Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary contains very useful reviews on the latest aspects of anti-cancer drug discovery and development. These articles have been contributed by an impressive group of authors, the majority of whom are well known for their own contributions. Most interestingly, these thirty reviews reflect the rapid changes in approaches towards drug discovery and development, based on the growing understanding of etiology of various cancers at the molecular level. Many of these review articles focus on inhibition of enzymes which play key roles in the on-set of cancer and its progression. Novel classes of compounds and emerging approaches, such as antiangiogenesis, are also the topic of some reviews. Each chapter is well written, up-to-date, adequately illustrated, extensively referenced, and nicely edited. Overall cancer is a complex disease, and this volume reflects the complexity involved in its treatment, as well as the need for a further understanding at the molecular and cellular levels, and designing treatments that target key mechanistic steps.

The authors and editors deserve appreciation for compiling such a scholarly treatise, which should be of benefit both to academic researchers and industrial R & D personnel.