Introduction

Abstract

This issue of Kidney International contains a series of reviews and articles on current research presented at the International Society of Nephrology Forefronts in Nephrology meeting on “Nitric Oxide and Renal Inflammation,” which took place at St. John's College, Cambridge, United Kingdom, on August 2–5, 2001. This international symposium was held approximately 20 years after the groundbreaking discovery of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) by Robert Furchgott. The opening keynote lecture was by Salvador Moncada, who first demonstrated that EDRF is nitric oxide (NO), and the talk focused on the fundamental biology of NO. He emphasized how identifying the degree and duration of target exposure to NO, which arises due to differing activities of the NO synthase isoforms, is essential for understanding the pathophysiological effects of in vivo NO production. In the following four sessions the biology of endothelial NO synthase, inducible NO synthase, and diverse aspects of NO and renal diseases were highlighted by the leading experts in the field. Two major roles for NO were discussed in detail, cell-cell communication and cytotoxicity, and data from in vivo work were presented supporting the hypothesis that pathology arises due to imbalance between constitutive and induced NO production. The therapeutic challenge of how and when to manipulate these NO pathways, however, is still open and will require additional intense research efforts. About 50 scientists from 10 countries participated in the symposium. The meeting provided a forum for established investigators as well as young researchers in the field to participate openly in discussions, exchange views and have their work critically analyzed by experts. The relaxed atmosphere of one of the most traditional colleges in the U.K. opened the way for new contacts and collaborations among the participants. We believe that the articles compiled in this issue of the journal provide the current status of research in the field of NO biology in renal inflammatory diseases and will point to new directions for future studies. We are grateful to the many scientists who contributed their papers for this issue. We thank the International Society of Nephrology for generously supporting this event in Cambridge and the editors of Kidney International for the opportunity to publish this work.