Chao Zhu graduated from Nanjing Medical University and got a Bachelor and Doctorate in Medicine in 2011 and 2016, respectively. Since then, he has been working as a lecturer/associate professor at the university. During the 8 years’ period, he also worked as a research scholar at the University of Arizona (2019–2021) and Indiana University (2024). He has been studying on CRF peptides and cardiovascular pharmacology for 10+ years. His cardiovascular disease research focuses on the protective effect of CRF peptides on multiple vascular functions. He has been continuously funded by the Natural Science Foundation of the university, province, and nation since 2017 when he received his first award.Rong Wan got a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy at Nanchang University (Jiangxi Province, China) in 2008. She also pursued further study in Nanjing Medical University and got a Doctorate in Medicine in 2013. Thereafter, she has been working in Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. Her research focuses on the area of the underlying mechanisms in cardiovascular diseases, including CRF peptides and proteins post-translational modification.  Shengnan Li graduated from Jiangxi Medical College and got a Bachelor degree in Clinical Medicine in 1986, after which she studied at China Medical University (Shenyang, China) and got her Master in Medicine in 1989. Then she worked as a lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology, Jiangxi Medical College for 6 years. Thereafter, she studied further in Institute of Pharmacology/Toxicology, Technical University of Dresden, and got her Doctorate in Medicine in 1999, further working as a research fellow in Institute of Neuroscience, National University of Singapore, until 2001. Since then, she has been working as a professor at Nanjing Medical University. The main research interest is about CRF peptides’ roles in cardiovascular functions and tumor development.

• Chapter 1: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and its regulation.- Chapter 2: CRF peptides in the periphery.- Chapter 3: The receptors for CRF peptides.- Chapter 4: CRF peptides in digestive system.- Chapter 5: CRF peptides in cardiovascular system.- Chapter 6: CRF peptides in immune/inflammatory system.- Chapter 7: CRF peptides in tumor.- Chapter 8: CRF peptides in reproductive system.- Chapter 9: CRF peptides in non-mammals.