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Drug stability: principles and practices
296
Book reviews
Nicholas A. Peppas School of Chemical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907-1283 USA P I I S0168-3659(96)01327-2
Principles of Cell Adhesion Editors: Peter D. Richardson and Manfred Steiner CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1995 The process by which cellular adhesion occurs is viewed and studied from a variety of perspectives depending on both the physical scale (macroscopic or microscopic) and the physical components responsible for, or involved in, the adhesion. A book of eighteen chapters written by thirty authors, such as this, will inherently incorporate a diversity of viewpoints. To accommodate for the various viewpoints practiced in this book, it has been broken down into two sections: (1) Fundamental Facets of Adhesion, and (2) The Molecular Biochemistry of Adhesion. Macroscopic views and discussions of adhesion are mainly included in the former section, ranging from biomechanic and thermodynamic examinations of cell adhesion, to substrate surface or flow effects on cell adhesion. The different cellular models and methods utilized by various investigators to study the adhesion of cells to surfaces or to other cells are apparent in these chapters. Most microscopic detail is left for chapters of the second section, such as the specific factors or adhesion molecules thought to regulate the event Both the novice and expert will find the book useful. It can be used as reference by all because it contains four complete reviews of the broad-based subject areas: The Integrin Cell Adhesion Molecules, The Selectin Family of Adhesion Molecules, Structure and Assembly of Basement Membrane and Related Extracellular Matrix Proteins, and The Interaction of the Cytoskeleton with Adhesive Receptors: Effects on Cell Adhesion. Other chapters are indepth discussions of specific topics or factors affect-
ing adhesion and are aimed at readers working in this subject area, such as Adhesive Properties of Bacteria or The Structure and Biological Function of the Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule N-CAM. Readers interested in vascular biology will find this book especially useful with five chapters devoted towards platelet adhesion phenomena and one chapter on leukocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium. Finally, the controlled release community may benefit from information contained in the book. Those interested in the targeted delivery of drugs to modulate a cellular response may utilize this book as a source to find the appropriate cell adhesion molecules for their system and get an appreciation of the molecular and cellular events involved in the regulation of cell function. Susan L. Ishaug and Antonios G. Mikos Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering Rice University P.O. Box 1892 Houston TX 77251-1892 USA P I I S0168-3659(96)01334-X
Drug Stability: Principles and Practices Jens T. Carstensen Second edition, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1995, pp. 601. This book discusses in detail the principles involved in drug stability and its significance, both from research and regulatory standpoints. In addition to the contents of the first edition, this edition provides more detailed information regarding the effect of moisture and microenvironmental pH on the intrinsic properties and stability of solids, applications of computer science in drug stability, and advantages and limitations of harmonization in government and industry. The new 1993 ICH guidelines are included in their entirety along with the 1987 FDA stability guidelines. The material covered in this book can be broadly
297
Book reviews
divided into following sections: drug stability in dissolved, dispersed and solid states, preformulation and packaging considerations affecting drug stability, physical testing of various dosage forms, current industrial practices, statistical aspects, and regulatory issues involved in drug stability. There is also a small chapter devoted to the stability of peptide and protein drugs. The author has presented the information in a step-by-step manner that helps the reader understand the concepts of drug stability with respect to theoretical aspects, as well as practical applications. An abundance of classical and current references are provided at the end of each chapter. The book, however, is not without flaws. With the genetically engineered protein and peptide drugs emerging as the new cures for future, it would have been necessary to include more in-depth information regarding these drugs. The topic of protein-polymer interactions which has been a major concern for
these drugs needs to be discussed in addition to the stability of proteins themselves. The other drawback in the book is the number of errors involved in some of the figures, tables and equations, in particular, for the second chapter on solution kinetics. Despite these drawbacks, the well-rounded information and the exhaustive list of references makes this a good resource/reference book for the stability scientists. Kalpana R. Kamath
College of Pharmacy South Dakota State University Brooking SD 57007-0099 USA Pll S0168-3659(96)01335-1
Book reviews
Nicholas A. Peppas School of Chemical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907-1283 USA P I I S0168-3659(96)01327-2
Principles of Cell Adhesion Editors: Peter D. Richardson and Manfred Steiner CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1995 The process by which cellular adhesion occurs is viewed and studied from a variety of perspectives depending on both the physical scale (macroscopic or microscopic) and the physical components responsible for, or involved in, the adhesion. A book of eighteen chapters written by thirty authors, such as this, will inherently incorporate a diversity of viewpoints. To accommodate for the various viewpoints practiced in this book, it has been broken down into two sections: (1) Fundamental Facets of Adhesion, and (2) The Molecular Biochemistry of Adhesion. Macroscopic views and discussions of adhesion are mainly included in the former section, ranging from biomechanic and thermodynamic examinations of cell adhesion, to substrate surface or flow effects on cell adhesion. The different cellular models and methods utilized by various investigators to study the adhesion of cells to surfaces or to other cells are apparent in these chapters. Most microscopic detail is left for chapters of the second section, such as the specific factors or adhesion molecules thought to regulate the event Both the novice and expert will find the book useful. It can be used as reference by all because it contains four complete reviews of the broad-based subject areas: The Integrin Cell Adhesion Molecules, The Selectin Family of Adhesion Molecules, Structure and Assembly of Basement Membrane and Related Extracellular Matrix Proteins, and The Interaction of the Cytoskeleton with Adhesive Receptors: Effects on Cell Adhesion. Other chapters are indepth discussions of specific topics or factors affect-
ing adhesion and are aimed at readers working in this subject area, such as Adhesive Properties of Bacteria or The Structure and Biological Function of the Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule N-CAM. Readers interested in vascular biology will find this book especially useful with five chapters devoted towards platelet adhesion phenomena and one chapter on leukocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium. Finally, the controlled release community may benefit from information contained in the book. Those interested in the targeted delivery of drugs to modulate a cellular response may utilize this book as a source to find the appropriate cell adhesion molecules for their system and get an appreciation of the molecular and cellular events involved in the regulation of cell function. Susan L. Ishaug and Antonios G. Mikos Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering Rice University P.O. Box 1892 Houston TX 77251-1892 USA P I I S0168-3659(96)01334-X
Drug Stability: Principles and Practices Jens T. Carstensen Second edition, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1995, pp. 601. This book discusses in detail the principles involved in drug stability and its significance, both from research and regulatory standpoints. In addition to the contents of the first edition, this edition provides more detailed information regarding the effect of moisture and microenvironmental pH on the intrinsic properties and stability of solids, applications of computer science in drug stability, and advantages and limitations of harmonization in government and industry. The new 1993 ICH guidelines are included in their entirety along with the 1987 FDA stability guidelines. The material covered in this book can be broadly
297
Book reviews
divided into following sections: drug stability in dissolved, dispersed and solid states, preformulation and packaging considerations affecting drug stability, physical testing of various dosage forms, current industrial practices, statistical aspects, and regulatory issues involved in drug stability. There is also a small chapter devoted to the stability of peptide and protein drugs. The author has presented the information in a step-by-step manner that helps the reader understand the concepts of drug stability with respect to theoretical aspects, as well as practical applications. An abundance of classical and current references are provided at the end of each chapter. The book, however, is not without flaws. With the genetically engineered protein and peptide drugs emerging as the new cures for future, it would have been necessary to include more in-depth information regarding these drugs. The topic of protein-polymer interactions which has been a major concern for
these drugs needs to be discussed in addition to the stability of proteins themselves. The other drawback in the book is the number of errors involved in some of the figures, tables and equations, in particular, for the second chapter on solution kinetics. Despite these drawbacks, the well-rounded information and the exhaustive list of references makes this a good resource/reference book for the stability scientists. Kalpana R. Kamath
College of Pharmacy South Dakota State University Brooking SD 57007-0099 USA Pll S0168-3659(96)01335-1