Signal Transduction Applied

is helpful in understanding the importance of the pathIn earlier years, signal transduction research focused ways. For example, the chapter on atherosclerosis emon identifying molecules and pathways. This approach phasizes reactive oxygen and nitric oxide signaling and did not always lead easily to understanding the function the chapter on asthma focuses on the NF B pathway. of a pathway in an intact organism. Although there are The chapters would provide an excellent introduction certainly signal transduction pathways still to be reto these pathways. vealed, the discovery phase has given way to an inThe book would also be a good starting point for basic creased emphasis on the function of signal transduction scientists or clinicians interested in any of the diseases pathways in intact organisms. Insight into the relevance covered. Since just a few pathways are emphasized of signal transduction pathways has often come from in each chapter, other sources would also need to be studies of larger biologic problems, such as developconsulted for a more comprehensive view. The editors ment or the function of the immune system and has intended for most of the chapters to contain a section been advanced enormously by gene deletion technoldescribing the clinical aspects of the disease, to serve ogy. Currently, much of the exciting research in signal as a context for the signaling pathways discussed. Only transduction involves understanding the roles of particabout one-half of the book’s chapters provide clinical ular pathways in disease. Based on this work, new drug background, however, and although it would add to targets are being evaluated and it is hoped that underthe length of the book, more extensive coverage of the standing the molecular basis of disease will also lead clinical aspects of the diseases discussed would be to new strategies for prevention and diagnosis. The pubhelpful to stress why study of these pathways is imporlication of Signal Transduction and Human Disease, edtant from a clinical perspective. ited by Toren Finkel and J. Silvio Gutkind, signals a Because of the roles signal transduction pathways degree of maturity in the field: there is now a textbook. play in the development of disease and the emphasis Finkel and Gutkind set themselves the goal of describon developing drugs that target signaling enzymes, the ing in one text the clinical and basic science aspects of interface between signal transduction and disease is a number of human diseases. Like a medical textbook, flourishing. It is now such a broad and complicated field the chapters are arranged by disease areas. There are that no single book could hope to encompass it, but chapters on atherosclerosis, asthma, cancer, endocriFinkel, Gutkind, and their coauthors have put together nology (diabetes and diseases involving heterotrimeric examples that illustrate the growing depth of underG proteins), infectious disease (bacterial regulation of standing the roles of signal transduction in disease and actin and bacterial toxins and diarrhea), immunology how this knowledge will impact diagnosis and treatment. (severe combined immunodeficiency and mast cell dis-