Science Base for Understanding the Effects of Chemical Weapons.1799 Although nerve agents, in specific, are recognized as the most important single class of chemical agents, it is remarkable that so little fundamental scientific research has been devoted to understanding how and where they act.1800 This information is not an academic curiosity: it is required for the development of rational therapies for treating injuries resulting from exposure to nerve agents, and for predicting the direction of development of future nerve agents.1801 It will also be important in recruiting the pharmaceutical industry into collaborative work (acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors are being explored, for example, as drugs for use against Alzheimer’s disease).