The 85 symposium speakers and poster contributions report recent research on the group of prostaglandin-like substances, especially in light of the discovery of the structure of genes that encode several key enzymes and receptors of the Eicosanoid cascade. They cover lipoxygenase, prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase, phospholipidases, the alteration of gene expression, receptors, inflammation, signal transduction, anandamide, plate-activating factor, and cell growth and apoptosis. Clinical studies include reports on activity during human spaceflight and curing murine AIDS by low-dosage, total-body irradiation. Among the poster papers are treatments of fatty acids hydroxamic derivatives as inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase, mechanisms of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition by indanone derivatives, and a novel method for prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase activity in individual intact cells.