Bayer AG Centenary Symposium – serie

This is the first book to summarize experimental results from the new, rapidly expanding field of research into the calcium channel in cell membrane. Calcium is an ubiquitous messenger of various cellular functions. Its fundamental role in the regulation of cardiac contractions has long been recognized. Drugs counteracting some actions of calcium ions, namely calcium antagonists, have since become essential to research. In the last decade it has been established that calcium ions reach their target intracellular system by passing through specialized calcium channels in the membrane. Recently improved experimental techniques combined with the discovery of highly specific Ca channel ligands have dramatically enlarged our knowledge of the molecular structure and function of such channels. The contributions by leading world specialists shed new light on both basic science and possible clinical implications for cardiovascular pharmacology, endocrinology and neuropharmacology.

His scientific contributions are regarded as classics: the studies about the insulin effect on adipose tissue (together with George F. Cahill Jr. ), his work on the biosyn- thesis and secretion of insulin (together with Lelio Orci and Claes W ollheim) and his studies on various spontaneous and induced diabetes syndromes in rodents (together with Bernard Jeanrenaud and Eleazar Shafrir). Albert Renold will be remembered for a long time by all who knew him for his achievements, for his kindness and his humanity. We dedicate the Proceedings of this symposium to his memory. Werner Creutzfeldt Pierre Lefebvre G6ttingen Liege History and Philosophy of Bayer Pharmaceutical Research W. -D. Busse Fachbereich Forschung Pharma, Bayer AG, D-5600 Wuppertal, FRG Research has a long tradition at Bayer. This year, 1988, marks 100 years of our pharmaceutical activities. In 1888 the first Bayer drug - phenacetin, an antipyreti- was synthesized, starting from a by-product of dye manufacture. This finding led to the establishment of a Pharmaceutical Department within Friedrich Bayer and Co. in Elberfeld, with all its associated facilities (Fig. 1).The beginning of the company itself, however, dates back to 1863. In that year, Friedrich Bayer started the produc- tion of aniline dyestuffs in his private house in Barmen-Rittershausen. During the 125 years of the company's life and the 100 years of pharmaceuticals, many developments and products have been discovered by Bayer researchers and launched by Bayer.