Inflammatory diseases are widely prevalent throughout the world. The identification of compounds able to treat both pain and inflammation with limited side effects is one of the prominent goals in biomedical research. Developing new therapeutic agents that can overcome gastrointestinal injury and at the same time could lead to an enhanced anti-inflammatory effect becomes an urgent need for inflammation patients. This book provides new insights for developing new modified steroids with structures justifying non-ulcerogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities. The steroid derivatives were synthesized via straightforward and efficient methods and their structures were established based on the analytical and spectral data. The in vivo anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and anti-ulcerogenic activities of these compounds were studied. Our finding provides a unique opportunity to develop new anti-inflammatory drugs which devoid the ulcerogenic liabilities associated with currently marketed drugs.

Gamal A. Elmegeed: Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Hormones and Head of Medicinal Chemistry group at Hormones Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt