Purine and purinergic receptors

)). There is both purinergic short-term signalling and long-term (trophic) signalling. The cloning of P2X-like receptors in primitive invertebrates suggests that adenosine 5'-triphosphate is an early evolutionary extracellular signalling molecule. Selective purinoceptor agonists and antagonists with therapeutic potential have been developed for a wide range of diseases, including thrombosis and stroke, dry eye, atherosclerosis, kidney failure, osteoporosis, bladder incontinence, colitis, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.