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Principles of Molecular Regulation, edited by P. Michael Conn and Anthony R. Means, Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey, 2000, 474 p.
Biochimie 83 (2001) 545−552 © 2001 Société française de biochimie et biologie moléculaire/Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.
Literature S030090840101269X/BRV Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Pathogenesis to Treatment, Novartis Foundation, Wiley, Chichester, UK, 2001, £ 75.00, pp. 286. The present book translates the lectures and discussions of a Symposium on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), held at the Novartis Foundation, London, United Kingdom, in January 2000, chaired by William MacNee. This Foundation, previously known as the Ciba Foundation, has a long association with the study of COPD. The famous 1958 Ciba Guest Symposium on COPD established the basis for our present knowledge on this group of lung diseases. The speakers addressed important questions, such as: which pathologies should be targeted for treatment? What can be learned from studies of present therapies? What can be learned from studies of the susceptibility to COPD? Which mechanisms and which cells should be targeted for treatment? The panel of speakers included some of the most distinguished scientists and physicians working on the field of COPD. The highlight of the book are the transcriptions of the discussions held after each presentation between the speakers and the audience. Each subject presented by the speakers is thoroughly analyzed and the differences in concepts and potential controversies explored. Ideas for novel research directions in the field of obstructive lung diseases emerge from each discussion, making the book an indispensable reading for scientists and physicians working in this field. Two overviews on pathogenesis and treatment of COPD set the stage for the Symposium. On the first, James Hogg presents the evolution of concepts on the pathogenesis of COPD over the last 40 years. On one hand, the advent of high performance lung imaging allowed the diagnosis of the condition on living patients. On the other hand, quantitative methods opened new possibilities for the study of the inflammatory component of the diseases, resulting in good correlation between the pathologic markers and the best known etiologic factor of COPD, tobacco smoking. These new approaches resulted in an important shift from the paradigm of the protease–anti-protease imbalance, that dominated the pathogenesis concepts for almost 40 years, to a more holistic view that includes inflammation. The second overview, by Peter Calverly, discusses the current therapies for COPD, from tobacco smoking cessation techniques to lung volume reduction surgery, stressing the need to change the usual concept of many practitioners that see COPD as an ‘intractable disease’. The following chapters discuss in depth all the relevant aspects of COPD, from genetics to promising new therapies, now in the pipeline of drug companies. The book predicts a shift of direction on pulmonary research in the new millennium: if the nineties were the asthma years, the first decade of the new millennium will be the COPD decade! J.R. Lapa e Silva
S030090840101272X/BRV Principles of Molecular Regulation, edited by P. Michael Conn and Anthony R. Means, Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey, 2000, 474 p. This book describes extensively some of the fundamental aspects of living organisms such as membrane receptor initiated cell signaling, nuclear receptor initiated gene regulation or molecular regulation of cell proliferation and death. Investigations in the field of molecular regulation began in the late 1960s. At that time, the prevailing views of how hormones worked ranged from effects on transport of nutritients and precursors for RNA and protein synthesis, to effects on the translation of mRNA at the level of ribosomes. Later, the discovery of membrane receptors and of numerous protein kinases, phosphatases and calcium regulators, as well as regulators of all of the phosphorylation intermediates themselves, revealed that the various signaling pathways were far more complex than previously suspected. The extent of this complexity increased further when was deduced that the steroid receptors were part of a giant superfamily of nuclear receptor transcription factors, including orphan receptors. The discovery of receptor-associated regulated proteins
546 provided a clue for a better understanding of how the nuclear receptors work at the level of DNA. We now know that membrane receptors act as low-specific transducers of hormone action by serving as a foundation for the recruitment of a host or other regulatory proteins. The coregulators include coativators and corepressors which mediate, via receptors, either the stimulation or repression of gene expression. This new molecular understanding of signaling pathways and of molecular regulation is likely to lead soon to the development of new drugs The book is divided into six parts, each with a number of chapters by different authors. The first part describes the various signaling mechanisms initiated by cell surface receptors, in particular, those involving G proteins-coupled receptors and the insulin receptor kinase. Two chapters in this section provide examples of biological mechanisms which are mediated through G protein-coupled cell-surface receptors: visual transduction in Drosophila and chemotaxis in Dictyostelium. The second section documents the mechanisms of signaling mediated by ion channels, calcium and lipids. The role of calcium and the consequences of its interaction with calmodulin or other calcium binding proteins are presented in two of its chapters. Additional chapters are devoted to the molecular mechanisms of protein kinases and phospholipases from the proteins to the cell biology level. The third section focuses on cyclic AMP, kinases and protein phosphatases. The fourth reviews the various signaling mechanisms initiated by targeting nuclear receptors. The first chapter of this section provides an updated model of steroid hormone action and discusses the recent insights into the pharmacology of steroid hormones. Other chapters describe in detail the specific orphan nuclear receptors and the classes of molecules that act as coactivactors or corepressors for members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. The common structure features that allow for DNA binding and transcriptional activation or repression of nuclear receptors are extensively discussed. The fifth section is devoted to cell proliferation and death. Developed in this part are the cell cycle checkpoints, the molecular regulation of apoptosis and the mechanisms of immunosuppression by T cells. In the final section, a single chapter describes the major steps in the discovery of novel pharmaceutical agents and reviews the important methods that have recently emerged to improve this process. Throughout the text is supplemented with several comprehensive tables and figures. It is therefore intended not only for research workers familiar with some aspects of regulation, but also to students wanting to learn more about basic concepts of signaling mechanisms. In conclusion, this book surveys the current state and perspectives of cell signaling and gene regulation, and should be recommended to all those interested in the process of life and its mechanisms of regulation at the molecular level. T. Fandeur
S0300908401012731/BRV Principles of Molecular Oncology, edited by Bronchud et al., Humana Press, 2000. ‘Principles of Molecular Oncology’ is aiming at a public of practicing clinicians, pharmacologists and advanced medical students. It is organized in three parts, reviewing several fundamental aspects of modern oncology. Part 1 is providing information about molecular markers, Part 2 is presenting diseased regulatory pathways and part 3 provides views on futures directions. Although the task was not easy, this books presents a rather comprehensive ‘state-of-the-art’ of progress made during the past two decades in understanding the molecular bases of cancer. Depending on the reader’s interest and background, the book might be extremely useful. The three chapters of part 1 describing the different types of tumor markers and their usefulness are quite well presented. Ideally, the detection of aberrant expression of normal or mutated forms of cellular genes involved in the regulation of cell growth should be a useful flag for identifying cancer or precancer cells. Molecular studies have uncovered many genes whose expression is altered in cancer cells. However, it is important to remember that, in most cases, the biological material used in these studies was already representing an ‘advanced’ stage in cancer development, and that efforts should now be aimed at identifying new markers allowing early diagnosis, typing and therapy of developing cancer cells. The goal is not going to be easily reached because most genes whose alterations or abnormal expression are participating to conferring the status of ‘cancer cell’ turned out to be essential genes for normal cell growth, differentiation and death. I was personally somewhat disappointed that such considerations were not clearly addressed in the chapters describing the potential use of oncogenes and tumor suppressors in part 1.
Literature S030090840101269X/BRV Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Pathogenesis to Treatment, Novartis Foundation, Wiley, Chichester, UK, 2001, £ 75.00, pp. 286. The present book translates the lectures and discussions of a Symposium on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), held at the Novartis Foundation, London, United Kingdom, in January 2000, chaired by William MacNee. This Foundation, previously known as the Ciba Foundation, has a long association with the study of COPD. The famous 1958 Ciba Guest Symposium on COPD established the basis for our present knowledge on this group of lung diseases. The speakers addressed important questions, such as: which pathologies should be targeted for treatment? What can be learned from studies of present therapies? What can be learned from studies of the susceptibility to COPD? Which mechanisms and which cells should be targeted for treatment? The panel of speakers included some of the most distinguished scientists and physicians working on the field of COPD. The highlight of the book are the transcriptions of the discussions held after each presentation between the speakers and the audience. Each subject presented by the speakers is thoroughly analyzed and the differences in concepts and potential controversies explored. Ideas for novel research directions in the field of obstructive lung diseases emerge from each discussion, making the book an indispensable reading for scientists and physicians working in this field. Two overviews on pathogenesis and treatment of COPD set the stage for the Symposium. On the first, James Hogg presents the evolution of concepts on the pathogenesis of COPD over the last 40 years. On one hand, the advent of high performance lung imaging allowed the diagnosis of the condition on living patients. On the other hand, quantitative methods opened new possibilities for the study of the inflammatory component of the diseases, resulting in good correlation between the pathologic markers and the best known etiologic factor of COPD, tobacco smoking. These new approaches resulted in an important shift from the paradigm of the protease–anti-protease imbalance, that dominated the pathogenesis concepts for almost 40 years, to a more holistic view that includes inflammation. The second overview, by Peter Calverly, discusses the current therapies for COPD, from tobacco smoking cessation techniques to lung volume reduction surgery, stressing the need to change the usual concept of many practitioners that see COPD as an ‘intractable disease’. The following chapters discuss in depth all the relevant aspects of COPD, from genetics to promising new therapies, now in the pipeline of drug companies. The book predicts a shift of direction on pulmonary research in the new millennium: if the nineties were the asthma years, the first decade of the new millennium will be the COPD decade! J.R. Lapa e Silva
S030090840101272X/BRV Principles of Molecular Regulation, edited by P. Michael Conn and Anthony R. Means, Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey, 2000, 474 p. This book describes extensively some of the fundamental aspects of living organisms such as membrane receptor initiated cell signaling, nuclear receptor initiated gene regulation or molecular regulation of cell proliferation and death. Investigations in the field of molecular regulation began in the late 1960s. At that time, the prevailing views of how hormones worked ranged from effects on transport of nutritients and precursors for RNA and protein synthesis, to effects on the translation of mRNA at the level of ribosomes. Later, the discovery of membrane receptors and of numerous protein kinases, phosphatases and calcium regulators, as well as regulators of all of the phosphorylation intermediates themselves, revealed that the various signaling pathways were far more complex than previously suspected. The extent of this complexity increased further when was deduced that the steroid receptors were part of a giant superfamily of nuclear receptor transcription factors, including orphan receptors. The discovery of receptor-associated regulated proteins
546 provided a clue for a better understanding of how the nuclear receptors work at the level of DNA. We now know that membrane receptors act as low-specific transducers of hormone action by serving as a foundation for the recruitment of a host or other regulatory proteins. The coregulators include coativators and corepressors which mediate, via receptors, either the stimulation or repression of gene expression. This new molecular understanding of signaling pathways and of molecular regulation is likely to lead soon to the development of new drugs The book is divided into six parts, each with a number of chapters by different authors. The first part describes the various signaling mechanisms initiated by cell surface receptors, in particular, those involving G proteins-coupled receptors and the insulin receptor kinase. Two chapters in this section provide examples of biological mechanisms which are mediated through G protein-coupled cell-surface receptors: visual transduction in Drosophila and chemotaxis in Dictyostelium. The second section documents the mechanisms of signaling mediated by ion channels, calcium and lipids. The role of calcium and the consequences of its interaction with calmodulin or other calcium binding proteins are presented in two of its chapters. Additional chapters are devoted to the molecular mechanisms of protein kinases and phospholipases from the proteins to the cell biology level. The third section focuses on cyclic AMP, kinases and protein phosphatases. The fourth reviews the various signaling mechanisms initiated by targeting nuclear receptors. The first chapter of this section provides an updated model of steroid hormone action and discusses the recent insights into the pharmacology of steroid hormones. Other chapters describe in detail the specific orphan nuclear receptors and the classes of molecules that act as coactivactors or corepressors for members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. The common structure features that allow for DNA binding and transcriptional activation or repression of nuclear receptors are extensively discussed. The fifth section is devoted to cell proliferation and death. Developed in this part are the cell cycle checkpoints, the molecular regulation of apoptosis and the mechanisms of immunosuppression by T cells. In the final section, a single chapter describes the major steps in the discovery of novel pharmaceutical agents and reviews the important methods that have recently emerged to improve this process. Throughout the text is supplemented with several comprehensive tables and figures. It is therefore intended not only for research workers familiar with some aspects of regulation, but also to students wanting to learn more about basic concepts of signaling mechanisms. In conclusion, this book surveys the current state and perspectives of cell signaling and gene regulation, and should be recommended to all those interested in the process of life and its mechanisms of regulation at the molecular level. T. Fandeur
S0300908401012731/BRV Principles of Molecular Oncology, edited by Bronchud et al., Humana Press, 2000. ‘Principles of Molecular Oncology’ is aiming at a public of practicing clinicians, pharmacologists and advanced medical students. It is organized in three parts, reviewing several fundamental aspects of modern oncology. Part 1 is providing information about molecular markers, Part 2 is presenting diseased regulatory pathways and part 3 provides views on futures directions. Although the task was not easy, this books presents a rather comprehensive ‘state-of-the-art’ of progress made during the past two decades in understanding the molecular bases of cancer. Depending on the reader’s interest and background, the book might be extremely useful. The three chapters of part 1 describing the different types of tumor markers and their usefulness are quite well presented. Ideally, the detection of aberrant expression of normal or mutated forms of cellular genes involved in the regulation of cell growth should be a useful flag for identifying cancer or precancer cells. Molecular studies have uncovered many genes whose expression is altered in cancer cells. However, it is important to remember that, in most cases, the biological material used in these studies was already representing an ‘advanced’ stage in cancer development, and that efforts should now be aimed at identifying new markers allowing early diagnosis, typing and therapy of developing cancer cells. The goal is not going to be easily reached because most genes whose alterations or abnormal expression are participating to conferring the status of ‘cancer cell’ turned out to be essential genes for normal cell growth, differentiation and death. I was personally somewhat disappointed that such considerations were not clearly addressed in the chapters describing the potential use of oncogenes and tumor suppressors in part 1.