Intervention against the Maillard reaction in vivo.

The field of Maillard/glycation reactions in vivo has grown enormously during the past 20 years, going from 25 to 500 publications per year. It is now well recognized that many of the "advanced" products form oxidatively or anaerobically and can have deleterious effects on macromolecular and biological function. The feasibility of developing pharmacological agents with beneficial in vivo properties, based on in vitro inhibition of glycation, has been surprisingly successful. This Editorial sets the stage for a series of articles by experts in the field, who have made key contributions to our understanding of the Maillard reaction in vivo.