Gasotransmitters: from basic science to therapeutic applications (ENOG: European Network on Gasotransmitters)

The biological and medical importance of the endogenously generated gaseous transmitter nitric oxide was recognized by the 1998 Nobel Prize for Medicine/Physiology. It is now clear that several “gasotransmitters” exist and this class of mediators also includes carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Several of the groups leading this research field are based in the EU, thus, the formation of a European network that collates scattered knowledge, resources and expertise on gaseous mediators will encourage the dissemination of innovation, boost collaborations and increase the European competitiveness in this field. In the longer term, we anticipate this concerted effort will accelerate translational research in inflammation, cardiovascular disease and CNS disorders, areas in which the biology of these three gaseous molecules has been implicated. The benefits from the support of such a network are expected in multiple levels: scientific, innovation/technological and societal.