Aims

The German Purine Club represents a platform for supporting the interaction and the exchange between scientists working in the field of the intercellular signal transmission via purine and pyrimidine compounds.

A major objective is:

• to promote the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms and the physiological and pathological roles of purinergic signaling
• to increase the visibility of this new field of science in Germany, and
• to catalyze the establishment of common research projects.

Regular scientific meetings, in particular the biennial German-Italian-Purine Club Meeting serve to support these aims.

This large field of science concerns on the one hand the basic mechanisms of purinergic signal transmission. It includes the mechanisms of storage and release of nucleotides, their action via specific receptors or their extracellular enzymatic degradation as well as the development of the pharmacology of molecules modulating these processes. On the other hand, this field of science is devoted to the multiple physiological mechanisms that are regulated by nucleotides, nucleosides, and presumably also by the nucleobase adenine, including aspects of neural function, vascular function, immunology, kidney function, respiratory function, development and many others. Within the past years an increasing number of cases could be elaborated demonstrating a participation of purinergic signal mechanisms in pathological processes such as inflammation, chronic pain or cancer. In addition, an increasing number of examples emerged suggesting that polymorphisms of genes encoding nucleotide receptors can be related to physical and psychological disorders. Thus, a fascinating aim of purine research concerns the development of novel therapeutic approaches to diseases involving purinergic signal mechanisms.