Historical Perspectives -- Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in the 21st Century -- Inflammatory Mechanisms of Pathogenesis -- Nitric Oxide Synthase and Cyclooxygenase Interactions in Cartilage and Meniscus -- Obesity, Inflammation, and Vascular Disease -- Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and the Inflammogenesis of Cancer -- Role of COX-2 in Inflammatory and Degenerative Brain Diseases -- Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease: The Coxib Controversy -- Cardiovascular Effects of the Selective Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors -- COX-2 Inhibitors And Cardiovascular Risk -- A Biological Rationale for the Cardiotoxic Effects of Rofecoxib -- Cox-2 Blockade in Cancer Prevention and Therapy -- Cancer Chemoprevention by Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) Blockade -- Strategies for Colon Cancer Prevention -- Inflammation and Neurodegenerative Disease -- NSAIDs for the Chemoprevention of Alzheimer's Disease -- Inflammation in parkinson's disease -- Nutrition, Inflammation and Chronic Disease -- Essential Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Inflammation, Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases -- Nutritional Intervention in Brain Aging. In "Inflammation in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Diseases: The COX-2 Controversy", a panel of leading experts chronicles the evidence supporting the roleofinflammationinthepathogenesisofmajorchronicdiseasesanddiscusses the current controversy regarding beneficial versus adverse effects of selective cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)inhibitors.Expertsinmultipledisciplinesofmedical research provide exciting and enlightening perspectives on COX-2 and related molecular targets in the future of medicine. The book is broadly divided into fivesections. Webeginwithhistoricalperspectivesonthediscoveryanddev- opment of aspirin, ibuprofen, and compounds that selectively inhibit COX-2, including discussion of risk versus benefit and the potential for development of new compounds with better efficacy and safety in the 21st century. This is followed by a section illuminating the role of inflammatory mechanisms in the pathogenesisofarthritis,cardiovasculardisease,cancer,neurodegenerativedisease, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and other life-threatening and debilitating conditions. Specific chapters then explore the "COX-2 controversy" regarding the potential forpositiveversusnegativeimpactofselectiveCOX-2inhibitorsonthecard- vasculature.Recentfindingssuggestthatcardiovascularriskassociatedwithsome COX-2 inhibitors may not be due to a class effect involving COX-2 inhibition, butratherdependsuponthemolecularstructureofspecificcompoundsthathave independenteffectsunrelatedtoCOX-2andprostaglandinbiosynthesis.Important findingsaredocumentedincancerresearchshowingthatselectiveCOX-2inhibitors havepowerfulantineoplasticeffectsagainstmajorformsofcancer.Aspecialsection exploresthecurrentevidencesupportingtheroleofCOX-2andinflammationinthe development of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions and thepotentialbenefitofcompoundsthatmodulateCOX-2andotherinflammatory cytokines.Thefinalsectionaddressesnutritionalmodulationofinflammationinthe pathogenesisofchronicdiseaseandthechemopreventivevalueofanti-inflammatory nutraceuticalagents.