"Carbon monoxide, one of the smallest organic natural molecules, is widely known for its toxicity. Formation of CO via incomplete combustion is a major contributing factor to accidental or intentional CO poisoning, leading to severe health consequences or death. In addition, CO is a by-product of tobacco smoking, and has been associated with some of the harmful effects of smoking. However, less known and probably far more important is the recognition of the essential physiological roles of CO as a signaling molecule in ...
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"Carbon monoxide, one of the smallest organic natural molecules, is widely known for its toxicity. Formation of CO via incomplete combustion is a major contributing factor to accidental or intentional CO poisoning, leading to severe health consequences or death. In addition, CO is a by-product of tobacco smoking, and has been associated with some of the harmful effects of smoking. However, less known and probably far more important is the recognition of the essential physiological roles of CO as a signaling molecule in mammals. Against over more than a century of negative connotation, the last few decades have proven that CO possesses a multitude of physiological roles and therapeutic functions including regulation of the immune response, cellular proliferation, and control of cell survival. This concept is supported by the discovery that CO is produced by all cells and more so under conditions of stress. This book comprehensively summarizes key aspects of CO's endogenous roles, therapeutic functions, and challenges that we face in its development as a therapeutic agent. We hope this preface will provide a thread for reading this book and a birds-eye view of the landscape for understanding this field, and more importantly lay out the challenges ahead in understanding the detailed mechanisms of action of CO and in its development as a therapeutic agent. We have divided the book into four sections that provide a framework for the reader to follow the evolution of CO from an accepted poison to a bioactive molecule that may offer enormous clinical benefits"--
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