Capacitative Calcium Entry

From The Critics

Reviewer: Simon T. Alford, PhD(Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine)
Description: This monograph describes a specialized aspect of cell signaling, the control of calcium store filling in animal cells.
Purpose: The purpose is to summarize the mechanisms of capacitative calcium entry as understood at the time the book went to press in Fall 1996. The author succeeds in this goal and, although the book is written from a very personal perspective, it is a useful summary for those researchers active in this field.
Audience: In addition to its target audience, I believe that the text is useful for researchers outside of this field who need to know something of its complexity. In this regard, the author's leadership position in this research area gives a very instructive if very personal perspective.
Features: The illustrations are useful, although somewhat fuzzy in places. In keeping with the philosophy of the text, the references will no doubt be dated very quickly. The latter point is not a criticism but rather an acceptance of the facts.
Assessment: This is an extremely detailed source for an area of intense current interest and written from the personal perspective of the author. I found it useful personally as a researcher at the periphery of the field and believe it is useful to the research community. Because of its degree of specialty, I would only recommend it for library purchases if it was locally requested, but would consider a personal purchase.

Simon T. Alford

This monograph describes a specialized aspect of cell signaling, the control of calcium store filling in animal cells. The purpose is to summarize the mechanisms of capacitative calcium entry as understood at the time the book went to press in Fall 1996. The author succeeds in this goal and, although the book is written from a very personal perspective, it is a useful summary for those researchers active in this field. In addition to its target audience, I believe that the text is useful for researchers outside of this field who need to know something of its complexity. In this regard, the author's leadership position in this research area gives a very instructive if very personal perspective. The illustrations are useful, although somewhat fuzzy in places. In keeping with the philosophy of the text, the references will no doubt be dated very quickly. The latter point is not a criticism but rather an acceptance of the facts. This is an extremely detailed source for an area of intense current interest and written from the personal perspective of the author. I found it useful personally as a researcher at the periphery of the field and believe it is useful to the research community. Because of its degree of specialty, I would only recommend it for library purchases if it was locally requested, but would consider a personal purchase.

Booknews

A summary of current knowledge regarding the capacitative calcium entry process detailing the physiological and cell biological approaches and anticipating drugs or other clinical benefits resulting from molecular research. Putney (researcher, National Institute of Environmental Health Science) discusses the general aspects of calcium signaling, entry, aspects of electrophysiology and regulation, the molecular nature of entry channels, and pharmacological and pathological uses. R.G. Landes is shown on the book as publisher. "Books in Print" and CiP show the ISBN as above (Landes); the book shows 0-412-13761-5 in the US and Canada. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

3 Stars from Doody