During the last decades a truly remarkable series of advances has taken place in our understanding of the biochemistry and physiology of the gastrointestinal (GI) peptides. Gut peptide receptor agonists and antagonists, however, have found limited application in the therapy of GI diseases because of lack of knowledge of the peptide receptor subtypes mediating particular physiological events, and lack of specific agonists and antagonists at these various receptor subtypes. Furthermore, most peptides that act as agonists or antagonists have only a short duration of action that makes them unsuitable for long-term clinical use. Of the different peptides, somatostatin has been the one whose wide range of physiological and pharmacological actions has been exploited in clinical practice. Several long-acting analogues have been synthesized and, amongst them, octreotide has been introduced into clinical practice. This volume, written by internationally recognized scientists who have contributed significantly to the new knowledge on this compound, reviews both present and future therapeutic applications of octreotide together with the basic science behind it. As it includes much information difficult to collect from other scattered sources, it should be a valuable reference text for basic scientists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists and oncologists alike.

Octreotide : from basic science to clinical medicine

Skrytá bibl. Subject index: s. 310-312