Intestinal Regeneration

From The Critics

Reviewer: Michael D. Brown, MD(Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This is a detailed monograph providing an overview of intestinal regeneration from a tissue and cellular level. It also covers some of the potential clinical applications of intestinal growth factors.
Purpose: The authors' intended purpose is to provide an overview of the process of intestinal regeneration at a cellular and tissue level. They also provide a discussion of the potential clinical usefulness of intestinal growth factors in enhancing mucosal surface area. The book provides a current and concise overview of intestinal regeneration not currently available in other books. The book meets the goals in that it is strictly an overview, and therefore is somewhat lacking in its discussion of the clinical relevance of this research.
Audience: The readers most interested in this book will be those initiating basic research in the area of intestinal regeneration. The reader will find abundant references to pivotal research in the area. A strength of the book is its considerable amount of methodological detail. To this end, classic models of intestinal adaptation and regeneration are detailed and evaluated. This overview approach will be a valuable aid for any investigator branching into this area. For an investigator already well-versed in the field of regeneration, this book may not provide sufficient detail. Only clinicians with a special interest in short bowel syndrome, the use of growth factors in ulcer healing, and surgical correction of intestinal defects will find much of interest in the clinically oriented chapters. The authors appear to be very knowledgeable in this field.
Features: There are an adequate number of black-and-white illustrations, including a fair number of micrographs. The illustrations are rather plain but adequate. The graphs used are clear and large and present a sufficient amount of data without becoming confusing. Chapters are well referenced, and the references are uniformly up-to-date; many references are just a few months old. The table of contents quickly guides the reader to the area of interest, and the index is adequate. Overall, the book israther plain, with no cover illustration and a two-color hard cover.
Assessment: The authors have succeeded in writing the ideal book for a narrow scope of readers: basic science investigators who are relatively new to the area of intestinal regeneration. Others may find its research scope too broad, and clinicians will find little to aid their day-to-day patient care.

3 Stars from Doody