This book is a compendium of recent knowledge relating to the biology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and genetics of lipoxygenases and thei r products, edited as proceedings of an international congress held in Malta in the summer of 1997. It represents state-of-the-art insight i nto the above topics. The aim of the book is to broaden the existing k nowledge on lipoxygenases and metabolites and to identify directions f or future research, which, in our opinion, is accomplished by the cont ribution of recognized experts in the field. Papers based on the congr ess lectures are gathered together here under three general headings: (i) enzymology, molecular biology and biological functions of mammalia n lipoxygenases, (ii) metabolic regulation of lipoxygenases; lipoxygen ase inhibitors, (iii) products of the lipoxygenase pathways and their receptors, which present enticing and forward-looking presentations.