The Paraoxonases: Their Role in Disease Development and Xenobiotic Metabolism

This book features a distillation of the plenary lectures presented at the International Conference on Paraoxonases, held in Hajd?szoboszl?, Hungary, in September 2006. Bringing together the world's foremost experts in the field, it offers a comprehensive, up-to-date, state of the art review of current paraoxonase research.

Research into the paraoxonase (PON) multigene family has really only blossomed in the last 10 years. Before this time only PON1 was known and research was restricted to toxicologists investigating the metabolism of organophosphate insecticides and nerve gases.

Since this time two new members, PON2 and PON3, have been discovered. All 3 PONs have been shown to act as antioxidants and the PON family has taken centre stage as major players in the development of a wide variety of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, rheumatism, Alzheimers and many more while remaining important in determining organophosphate toxicity.