Timothy Gaginella and Antonio Guglietta bring together hands-on experts to critically review the many promising new areas of gastrointestinal pharmacology at the molecular level. Key chapters discuss such major themes as cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, the complexities of nitric oxide pathways in the gut, and the influence of cytokines on inflammatory bowel disease, as well as new opportunities for pharmacotherapy, including peptide growth factors, achykinins-particularly substance P and neurokinins-cholecystokinin receptors, and serotonin. Also examined as possible sites for treating motility disorders and visceral pain are the opioid receptors residing in the gut, and the H3-receptor agonists for treating gut inflammation and pain. Drug Development: Molecular Targets for Gastrointestinal Disease provides a comprehensive review of today"s molecular pharmacological approaches to the discovery and development of novel drugs for gastrointestinal and liver diseases.