Employing a wide range of examples from G-protein-coupled receptors and ligand-gated ion channels, this detailed, single-source reference illustrates the principles of pharmacological analysis and receptor classification that are the basis of rational drug design. Explains the experimental and theoretical methods used to characterize interactions between ligands and receptors-providing the pharmacological information needed to solve treatment problems and facilitate the drug design process! Demonstrating the achievements of the receptor-based approach in therapeutics and indicating future directions, Receptor-Based Drug Design introduces novel computer-assisted strategies for the design of new agonists, antagonists, and inverse agonists for G-protein-coupled receptors shows how to assess agonist concentration-effect curve data discusses radioligand binding assays presents new in vitro multiarray assays for G-protein-coupled receptors explains the use of individual second messenger signaling responses in analyzing drug-receptor interactions examines the role of electrophysiology in finding new drugs and drug targets describes selectively acting b-adrenoceptor agonists and glucocorticoid steroids for asthma treatment outlines the rationale for using angiotensin receptor antagonists and more! Written by over 25 international authorities and containing nearly 1200 bibliographic citations, Receptor-Based Drug Design is a practical resource for pharmacologists, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical scientists; organic and medicinal chemists and biochemists; molecular biologists; biomedical researchers; and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in these disciplines.