Editorial

It is a pleasure to recognize the present milestone of 10 years of continuous publication for this journal, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry (CTMC). CTMC has grown beyond expectations and is now among the top five in the field of medicinal chemistry in terms of Impact Factor. CTMC was originally conceived as a secondary review journal in which top areas of research in the fields of medicinal chemistry and allied disciplines could be covered thematically, much in the same way as a symposium at a scientific meeting is organized. CTMC has an electronic version as do almost all journals, but has resisted the temptation to eliminate print copies - a subscriber can still page through his or her personal copy and browse as they wish. This 10th-year celebration issue contains six manuscripts. The first five were selected because the authors had authored articles in CTMC which were among the elite group of being in the top cited manuscripts for CTMC during the past 10 years. They have rewritten the original topics providing updates and new perspectives. The first by Gary Caldwell and colleagues describes the important topic of the use of Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion (ADME) testing in drug discovery to improve the overall odds of success. The second manuscript by Karl Drlica et al. entails a particular structural class important in anti-infective research, the quinolones. The third by Christina Gianoulakis describes the endogenous opioids and their relevance in states of addiction. The fourth article by Yves Pommier describes a particular class of agents for the treatment of AIDS, the HIV-1 integrase inhibitors. The fifth manuscript by Gary Schieven reviews p38 kinase as a therapeutic target in inflammation. Finally, Bruce Maryanoff describes the discovery of topiramate, a multi-billion dollar drug he personally invented. Dr. Maryanoff is now retiring after a distinguished career with Johnson & Johnson. Credit must go to the many CTMC Guest Editors during the past 10 years who have provided rigor and expertise to each issue. On a personal level, I thank Dr. Matthew Honan of Bentham Science Publishers for the opportunity to be involved with CTMC, and to Ms. Ambreen Wasim of the Bentham editorial office for her many efforts from the beginning. Thanks to Dr. Honan and Bentham for sponsoring a CTMC annual dinner in each of the past nine years at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society. These have been enjoyable and memorable events, starting first at the top of the Hancock Tower in Chicago and most recently held at a great restaurant in Washington, DC. There is no greater time than the present to be a scientist, given the research tools we have to work with and the towering efforts of others upon which we build. Medicinal Chemistry is a wonderful discipline because it interfaces with other activities including pharmacology, intellectual property, process chemistry, preclinical and clinical development, and many others.