Publisher's Synopsis
An examination of the important role of fluorine in medicinal chemistry reveals that, in most cases, an organic compound needs be only lightly substituted with fluorine. Indeed, a single fluorine atom or a trifluoromethyl group, located in a key position of a bioactive molecule, can exert a profound pharmacological effect. Recently, developments in previously well-studied fields have been augmented by exciting reports in newer areas. The topics chosen by the authors are likely to be of broad interest and represent the work of established international leaders in their areas of research. Keeping in mind the question "what does fluorine provide that is so special?", the reader will find information on anticancer and antiviral agents and be brought up to date on volatile anesthetics and central nervous system agents, areas in which fluorine has played a pivotal role for almost 40 years.;Antibiotics receive special attention, with coverage of beta-lactams and fluoroquinolone antibacterials. Newer applications of biologically-active fluorine compounds are reviewed, including cardiovascular drugs, fluoroamino acids and peptides, and the prostaglandins and leukotrienes of the arachidonic acid cascade. Biomedical applications, such as 18F in positron emission tomography (PET) and fluorinated surfactants are well covered. In the opening chapter, an overview of the field is given, including brief reports on areas not otherwise covered in the book, eg. recent advances in antidiabetic and hypolipidemic agents.
