Progress in medicinal chemistry and in drug design depends on our ability to understand the interactions of drugs with their biological targets. Classical QSAR studies describe biological activity in terms of physicochemical properties of substituents in certain positions of the drug molecules. The purpose of this book is twofold: On the one hand, both the novice and the experienced user will be introduced to the theory and application of 3D QSAR analyses, and on the other, a comprehensive overview of the scope and limitations of these methods is given. The detailed discussion of the present state of the art should enable scientists to further develop and improve these powerful new tools. The greater part of the book is dedicated to the theoretical background of 3D QSAR and to a discussion of CoMFA applications. In addition, various other 3D QSAR approaches and some CoMFA-related methods are described in detail. Thus, the book should be valuable for medicinal, agricultural and theoretical chemists, biochemists and biologists, as well as for other scientists interested in drug design. Its content, starting at a very elementary level and proceeding to the latest methodological results, the strengths and limitations of 3D QSAR approaches, makes the book also appropriate as a text for teaching and for graduate student courses.
