September 6, 2016: The recent issue of Current Medicinal Chemistry (CMC, Vol. 23; Iss. 24) features a tribute to the Nobel Prize winning chemist, Professor Ferid Murad (George Washington University). Prof. Murad has been recognized in the field of medicinal chemistry for his contributions to our understanding of nitric oxide release in the body through the action of nitroglycerin and related drugs. Prof. Murad’s work pointed out that release of nitric oxide leads to a biochemical cascade that results in high cGMP, resulting in smooth muscle relaxation. He, along with Furchgott and Ignarro, were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology & Medicine in 1998 for these discoveries.

This issue brings forth 16 reviews written by eminent experts on the biochemistry of nitric oxide from diverse scholarly angles. Readers will find updated research on topics ranging from cGMP pathways triggered by nitric oxide, the effect of nitric oxide on specific cells to the value of nitric oxide in certain disease states. The editors of CMC thank the contributors to this outstanding collection of excellent reviews and hope that that readers can benefit from the advances in medicinal chemistry triggered by Prof. Murad’s monumental research contributions.