An update on cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors: Phosphodiesterases and drug selectivity

In recent years, there has been a prodigious exponsion of knowledge about cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs). This isozyme superfamily has now become a major focus of drug discovery efforts owing to its diversity, molecular nature, differential regulation and expression in different cell types, cold the range of biological junctions. Inhibition of these isozymes call lead to all increase in cAMP and cGMP levels, which can affect a variety of physiological responses. Selective inhibitors for each of the muiltiple forms of PDE call offer all opportunity for desired therapeutic intervention and would be all extremely useful tool in drug discovery efforts for a medicinal chemist. This review details many key aspects of multiple forms of PDEs and their inhibitors with diversified chemical structures, which call act as leads for synthesis of novel drugs. (c) 2005 Prous Science. All rights reserved.