The language of life : how cells communicate in health and disease

Cells talk—and scientists are listening. One of the most intriguing topics in molecular biology, biochemical communication is the cornerstone of modern medicine and the mainstay of cutting-edge pharmaceutical research. For nearly a century, researchers have been straining to hear the whispered conversations among cells, hoping to master the basics of their language. They know that if we can decipher and translate this cellular chatter, we have the potential for sending signals of our own that could repair wounds, reduce cholesterol, control insulin levels, or even block the reproduction of cancer cells. The possibilities are extraordinary. The Language of Life reveals the private conversations of cells. In place of words, however, cells use chemicals, linking molecule to molecule to construct sentences that obey formal rules of grammar and syntax as binding as those that govern our own spoken and written language. Through the exchange and interpretation of chemical signals, they report every newsworthy event, record every memory, respond to every bodily injury. If you've ever wondered how your body copes with stress and change, why you can't lose weight, or shake unreasonable fears; if you've pondered the origins of cancer or the epidemic of diabetes; or if you've wished for a glimpse into the future of medicine, this is a book you must read. Debra Niehoff examines the communication breakdowns that underlie some of our most common and intractable disorders and shows how intervening in these crises by sending signals of our own not only gives us the drugs to cure what ails us, but promises more effective and better targeted medications in the future. The Language of Life blends the vision of science with the poetry of life itself. It is a fantastic story of discovery that artfully conveys the epic of the developing embryo, the miracle of the human brain, and the stories of battles waged by cells on the front lines of a never-ending war against disease.

"The Language of Life reveals the private conversations of cells. In place of words, however, cells use chemicals, linking molecule to molecule to construct sentences that obey formal rules of grammar and syntax as binding as those that govern our own spoken and written language. Through the exchange and interpretation of chemical signals, they report every newsworthy event, record every memory, respond to every bodily injury." If you ever wondered how your body copes with stress and change, why you can't lose weight, or shake unreasonable fears; if you've pondered the origins of cancer or the epidemic of diabetes; or if a glimpse into the future of medicine intrigues you, this is a book you must read.

Publishers Weekly

Cell communication takes place in all organisms, from the simplest single-celled bacterium to humans, mediated through an array of chemicals. Using human language as a metaphor, science writer Niehoff (The Biology of Violence) takes us on a whirlwind tour, discussing how chemical communication is responsible for turning a fertilized egg into a complex, fully differentiated adult; how the human immune system is called into action to fight infection; and how homeostatic mechanisms protect us as we negotiate an environmentally unstable world but make it extremely difficult to lose significant amounts of weight. Niehoff also explores the host of medical possibilities, from curing cancer to effectively controlling diabetes, as scientists begin to fully understand the language of cells. Throughout, Niehoff mixes personal anecdotes with scientific explanation. Those anecdotes, however, distract more than enlighten-the only shortcoming of this otherwise thoroughly enjoyable book. B&w illus. Agent, Regula Noetzli. (On sale May 24) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Annotation Cooperation requires conversation. Human beings speak to one another. Sounds, scents, and postures allow animals to make their point. While individual cells can't talk, hiss, growl, or bare their teeth, they nevertheless communicate regularly. Their language is based not on words or gestures, but on chemistry--using molecules where we would use words, constructing sentences from chains of proteins. The cells that make up the bodies of muticellular organisms inform, wheedle, command, exhort, reassure, nurture, criticize, and instruct each other to direct every physiological function, report every newsworthy event, record every memory, heal every wound. And each of those chemical conversations represents an opportunity for scientists and physicians. The molecular biologists who worked for over a decade to sequence the human genome have sometimes referred to that sequence as the "book of life." To our cells, that "book" is no more than a dictionary--only living cells can converse, forming the network that allows our 60 trillion cells to function as a single organism. For nearly a century, researchers have been straining to hear the whispered conversations among cells, hoping to master the basics of their language. They know that if we can decipher and translate this cellular chatter, we have the potential for sending signals of our own that could repair wounds, reduce cholesterol, control insulin levels, or even block the reproduction of cancer cells. The possibilities are as endless as they are intriguing. The Language of Life is a fantastic story of discovery, blending the vision of science with the poetry of life itself Cooperation requires conversation. Human beings speak to one another. Sounds, scents, and postures allow animals to make their point. While individual cells can't talk, hiss, growl, or bare their teeth, they nevertheless communicate regularly. Their language is based not on words or gestures, but on chemistry ?using molecules where we would use words, constructing sentences from chains of proteins. The cells that make up the bodies of muticellular organisms inform, wheedle, command, exhort, reassure, nurture, criticize, and instruct each other to direct every physiological function, report every newsworthy event, record every memory, heal every wound. And each of those chemical conversations represents an opportunity for scientists and physicians. The molecular biologists who worked for over a decade to sequence the human genome have sometimes referred to that sequence as the "book of life." To our cells, that "book" is no more than a dictionary?only living cells can converse, forming the network that allows our 60 trillion cells to function as a single organism. For nearly a century, researchers have been straining to hear the whispered conversations among cells, hoping to master the basics of their language. They know that if we can decipher and translate this cellular chatter, we have the potential for sending signals of our own that could repair wounds, reduce cholesterol, control insulin levels, or even block the reproduction of cancer cells. The possibilities are as endless as they are intriguing. The Language of Life is a fantastic story of discovery, blending the vision of science with the poetry of life itself. "The Language of Life reveals the private conversations of cells. In place of words, however, cells use chemicals, linking molecule to molecule to construct sentences that obey formal rules of grammar and syntax as binding as those that govern our own spoken and written language. Through the exchange and interpretation of chemical signals, they report every newsworthy event, record every memory, respond to every bodily injury." "If you ever wondered how your body copes with stress and change, why you can't lose weight, or shake unreasonable fears; if you've pondered the origins of cancer or the epidemic of diabetes; or if a glimpse into the future of medicine intrigues you, this is a book you must read."--Jacket