Dalip J. S. Sirinathsinghii and Ray G. Hill Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories
Neuroscience Research Centre Terlings Park Eastwick Road Harlow Essex CM20 2QR UK There
remains a distinct medical need for new pain therapies. Therefore it is not surprising that in
recent years there has been a major research initiative in both aca demic and pharmaceutical
laboratories to identify novel pain targets and to devel op novel analgesic drugs. It is clear
from numerous studies that the NMDA recep tor plays a major role in the transmission
ofnociceptive information and it has been a subject of extensive investigation over the last
decade exploiting the advances of molecular pharmacology and molecular neuroanatomy. As a
consequence there has been a rational approach by several laboratories to develop receptor
subtype-spe cific NMDA antagonists in order to avoid the wide range of side-effects seen with
non-selective NMDA ion channel antagonists such as ketamine. This volume brings together
contributions from experts in various technological disciplines who have contributed immensely
to NMDA receptor research and advanced our understanding of the subunit composition of the NMDA
receptor complex its pharmacology and distribution its interaction with other neurochemi cal
systems and the effects on behaviour of NMDA antagonists in rodent models and in the clinic. In
consideration of these advances and the prospects of novel NMDA receptor antagonists in the
near future for the treatment of pain this vol ume is very timely.
