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Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) hydrolyse cyclic nucleotides to their inactive form (5' nucleotides), and thereby play an important role in cellular signalling mechanisms. These enzymes can be classed into seven families (or isozymes/isoenzymes) on the basis of their amino acid sequence, substrate specificity and sensitivity to pharmacological agents. This article reviews each PDE family in turn and analyses the patent literature in each area. Specific attention has been placed on those patents which disclose compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases including thrombosis and atherosclerosis.