This volume covers contemporary advances in five important areas of pharmacology and medicinal chemistry including: a comprehensive account of inhibitors of the caspase family of proteolytic enzymes that represent a new class of anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic agents of potential value in rheumatoid arthritis, and other peripheral and central indications; adoc umented survey of semi-synthetic and totally synthetic antibiotics and anti HIV agents and their sites of interaction; inhibitors of the intracellular enzyme acyl-CoA: cholesterol O-acyltransferase (ACAT) developed for the treatment.