ABSTRACT
Over the past 15 years the molecular basis of numerous diseases has been discovered. The pathological states of these diseases are frequently derived from aberrations in either intracellular or intercellular signaling pathways. This is particularly true of proliferative diseases such as cancers, atherosclerosis, psoriasis and of inflammatory conditions including sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune diseases and tissue rejection. These findings have refocused medical research on seeking out new modalities for disease management. The new paradigm shift focuses on designing therapeutic modalities aimed at restoring normal signaling or bringing about the demise of the diseased cells without harming normal neighboring cells. Global genomic and proteomic approaches will further assist this new focus. This chapter will discuss the emerging patterns of this shift and examples of emerging therapies based on new molecular understanding.
