Download or read book Purinergic Signalling in the Central Nervous System and its pharmacological importance in neurological and psychiatric illnesses. written by Yong Tang and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2024-01-26 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Research Topic aims to honour the 80th birthday of Professor Peter Illes, who is a member of the European Academy of Sciences, the founder/first president of the German Purine Club, and Honorary President of the Chinese Purine Club. He established a worldwide co-operation network on purinergic signalling and is an internationally recognized leader in the field. We aim to collect research articles and reviews from friends, colleagues and co-operation partners of Dr. Illes to showcase, build on and develop research being achieved related to the physiological/pathophysiological roles of purines in the central nervous system (CNS). Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is an intracellular energy-storing molecule, but may also reach the extracellular space, where it participates in cell-to-cell signalling. For this purpose, ATP utilises a range of purinergic receptors activated either by ATP itself (P2X receptors; seven subtypes) or by ATP/ADP and UTP/UDP (P2Y receptors; 8 subtypes) and finally via its enzymatic degradation product, adenosine (P1/A receptors; 4 subtypes). Purine nucleotides and nucleosides together with the whole plethora of receptors and degrading enzymes constitute the purinome. This fascinating and extensive network exists both in the animal kingdom and in humans and is essential in regulating important physiological functions. Disturbances in the network can lead to a variety of illnesses clinically associated with both neurological or psychiatric traits. In recent years, hope has arisen that pharmacological chemistry together with various newly developed methods, will enable researchers to discover and design efficient drugs for treating these neurodegenerative and affective diseases.