Abstract
This book contains a collection of 16 scientific papers presented at the 1996 International Symposium on Programmed Cell Death, held in the Shanghai Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on 8–12 September 1996. Most of the papers are topical reviews of specific mechanistic phenomena underlying the varied presentations of programmed cell death, or apoptosis. Some of the chapters deviate from the review format and use a style emulating primary scientific manuscripts, with an emphasis on introduction, results, and discussion. The presented works are drawn from a spectrum of studies using amphibian and mammalian systems, in vitro and in vivo protocols, and lymphoid and nonlymphoid cell systems. This collection of papers, as is sometimes the case for other published symposium proceedings, appears to benefit scientists within the respective field by primarily serving as a repository of several key review articles, which are alternatively distributed over several peer-reviewed journals. This book is designed for those conversant in the field and will not function well as a primer for those wishing to acquaint themselves quickly with the mechanisms of apoptosis. It should also be noted that apparently no attempt was made to restrict the various authors to a uniform lexicon regarding usage of the term “apoptosis.”
In its entirety, the book is scholarly, but readability and continuity are deficient, largely because of the diversity of authors and the broad range of subtopics. With regard to the latter, some continuity may have been achieved by organizing the chapters under subheadings (e.g., lymphoid apoptosis). Although the authors portray the data appropriately, to some readers, the black-and-white illustrations, which consist predominantly of graphs, photographs of electrophoretic gels, and occasional line drawings, will contribute to the lack of appeal. Those readers craving histologic images or in situ TUNEL detection of apoptotic cells will be sorely disappointed. Descriptions of technical approaches are limited, and interested readers will either be familiar with the approaches or find it necessary to infer them from the experimental results, or they will have to delve further into the references. Other texts are available that address the need for technical protocols specifically and are superior in this regard.
Review articles have recently been published by many of the authors contained in this book, so one can assume that the papers included in this book accurately illustrate key issues in the current study of the mechanisms underlying apoptosis and cell survival. However, this book focuses on the molecular regulatory level, and, with limited exceptions, does not lead the reader to a greater understanding of the role of apoptosis in disease processes. Some of the chapters regarding apoptosis of lymphoid populations and lymphocyte mediated apoptosis were interesting in this regard, though. In general, this text will not appeal to pathologists for their personal libraries but may garner a following from that subset concurrently intrigued by the molecular regulation of apoptosis. This volume may also find a home in institutional libraries, where readers may take advantage of the work selectively.