Titles That May Interest You

TITLES THATMAYINTEREST YOU Human Implantation: Cell Biology and Immunology. Edited byY. W. Loke and Ashley King. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1996. Pp. xiv, 299. $80.00. Of all mammalian physiological processes, implantation of the blastocyst is one where the mechanisms involved differ so markedly even among closely related species as to make comparisons difficult. Consequently, this volume is devoted essentially to human implantation. In recent years tremendous progress has occurred in isolating cell types with a sufficient degree of purity for valid experimentation. The availability of appropriate specific antibodies directed at cell markers and their use in immunohistology have gready increased our understanding of the topography of the human implantation site. The authors admit that research dealing with the immunology and cell biology of human implantation is still very much in its infancy, so that many conclusions are necessarily speculative. For example, very little is known about what controls trophoblast migration. The question ofwhy the concept úe is not rejected by the mother like an allograft has preoccupied reproductive immunologists for a long time. The 11 chapters include titles such as Evolution of the Maternal-Fetal Interaction; Decidualization, Isolation and Characterization of Cells from the Early Pregnant Uterus; Trophoblast Expression of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Antigens ; Uterine Mucosal Leucocytes; Cytokines and Their Receptors in Implantation; and Trophoblast Interaction with Extracellular Matrix. The volume is beautifully produced with good plates (even some in color) , clear illustrations, and an extensive bibliography. Drug-Induced Infertility and Sexual Dysfunction. By Robert Forman, Susanna GilMOUR -White, and Nathalie Forman. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1996. Pp. ix, 155. $39.95 This book was born out of the frustration by the authors in the course of simple inquiries from patients or health care colleagues. The possibility that a patient's fertility or sexual problems could be drug-related led to extensive literature searches, discussions with pharmaceutical companies, and contact with the (U.K.) Committee on Safety of Medicines. Their efforts resulted in a collation of academic papers requiring time-consuming analysis before a reply could be given. "The desirPermission to reprint a book review printed in this section may be obtained only from the author. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 41, 1 ¦ Autumn 1997 | 155 ability for a comprehensive reference text which included much of this information in readily accessible form was all too evident." The volume comprises nine chapters: Sexual and Reproductive Function; Antihypertensive Therapy; Psychotropic and Central Nervous System Drugs; Cancer Chemotherapy ; Hormone Therapy; Antibodies; Miscellaneous Drugs; Recreational Drugs and Drugs of Abuse; and Fertility and the Environment. Fifty Years of Antimicrobials: Past Perspectives and Future Trends. Edited by P. A. Hunter, G. K. Darby, and N. J. Russell. Society for General Microbiology Symposium 53. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1995. Pp. xii, 376. $115.00. "This volume reviews the immense progress which has been made during the past half-century, opening with the text of Sir Alexander Fleming's 1946 Linacre Lecture 'Chemotherapy: yesterday, today and tomorrow,' and then drawing together contributions which consider the key antimicrobial compounds, both naturally occurring and synthetic, active against bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. The broader issues of antimicrobial production, screening, improvement and resistance are also considered. Topics such as why epidemics still occur, and the need for new antibiotics, highlight the fact that, despite the advances, the fight against infection continues unabated." The volume contains 15 papers written by 24 contributors . "Economically deprived developing countries still bear the burden of numerous infections." There are numerous references to the development of resistance by diverse microbes to many antimicrobials; this may be connected with the over-use or inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents. There is also concern about the reemergence of infections previously believed to have been controlled. "The spread of AIDS and the increasing numbers of immunocompromised patients worldwide have changed, and continue to change the spectrum of infectious disease organisms ." Ronald Singer Laboratory Investigations in Cell and Molecular Biology, 3rd ed. Edited by Ai.lyn Bregman. New York: John Wiley, 1996. Pp. 315. Paper $45.95. This is the revised third edition of an obviously successful book. There are 21 projects (chapters) designed for the laboratory in mid-level cell biology courses. "The early projects...