424 TIBS - November 1983

An attractive history of interferon

Interferon: Twenty-Five Years On

edited by D. A. J. Tyrrell and D. C. Burke, The Royal Society, 1982. £18.95 (UK) £19.95 (elsewhere) (vi + 144 pages) I SBN 0 854 03194 4

In 1957 A. lsaacs and J. Lindenmann pub- lished the first paper on interferon. They described it as a substance of proteinaceous nature, produced by cells in their defence against virus infection. The interferon mechanism is now recognized as being complementary to antibodies and cellular immunity.

The isolation and characterization of interferon has met with considerable dif- ficulties. It was not until 1979 that the amino acid sequence started to be unravel- led and rapid progress has occurred since 1980 by the use of molecular cloning tech- niques. Sustained interest from scientists as well as the public derives from the hope that we will be able to use interferon(s) as drugs against virus infections and/or cancer. Aside from its anti-viral effect interferon modifies (modulates) various functions of cells and organ systems. Some of these actions are such that interferon might

increase the host defence against malignant cells and in experimental systems on ani- mals, interferon administration can indeed inhibit the outgrowth of tumors. Clinical trials using human interferon were started in the mid-seventies, but were accelerated once interferon preparations obtained by recombinant DNA techniques became available. It is now clear that interferon therapy is not a panacea against cancer, yet there may be certain distinct applications, the modalities of which have still to be defined.

In 1983 the Royal Society of London commemorated the fact that it published the epoch-making paper by lsaacs and Lin- denmann 25 years ago, by organizing a Symposium. The papers and posters pre- sented at this Symposium are now pub- lished in this book which is attractive both in content and presentation. Struc- ture and function of the interferon genes are covered by C. Weissmann and W. Fiers; structure of the interferon protein is discus- sed by M. Rubinstein; M. J. E. Sternberg and F. E. Cohen try to predict the tertiary structure of the proteins; mechanistic aspects of production and action are

reviewed by I. Kerr and D. Burke; and such biological effects of interferon as the anti- tumor action and the immuno-modulating properties are discussed by 1. Gresser, E. De Maeyer and J. De Maeyer-Guignard.

In its third part, the book has four papers relating to clinical application of interferon. Pharmacokinetics and toxicity are dilig- ently reviewed by G. Scott; T. Merigan describes mainly his own experience with interferon as an antiviral in the clinic; H. Strander and S. Einhorn give a brief over- view of current efforts in evaluating inter- feron as an antitumor agent in the clinic, and this is complemented by an overview of the anti-cancer trials currently done in Britain, by T. Priestman.

The book closes with eight brief poster papers, the most interesting of which is that by M. Sternberg and F. Cohen on the tertiary structure of interferon.

In the tradition of the Philosophical Transactions, Interferon: Twenty-Five Years On is exquisitely well edited: a must for the bibliophile.

A. BILLIAU

Rega lrL~titute fi~r Medical Research, University of Leu yen, Minderbroedersstraat 10. B-3000 Leu yen, Belgium.

V a r i a b l e s u c c e s s

Advances in Cell Culture, Vol. 2

edited by Karl Maramorosch, Academic Press, 1982. £23.80/$36.00 (xv + 333 pages) 1SBN 0 120 07902 X

A goal of the Advances in Cell Culture series, as indicated by the editor in the pre- face to Volume 2, is to ' . . . provide criti- cal reviews of important aspects of in vitro cu l t iva t ion . . . ' . Although the broad appeal of a periodical review series essen- tially devoted to advances in methodology rather than advances in concepts is likely to be difficult to maintain, there is consider- able value in a compilation of critical re- views on topics related to what the editor de- ~ribes as 'cell culture as a scientific disci- pline' and, in fact, if broadly based such a series may serve to further the consolidation of initially limited empirical observations and speculations into more general theoret- ical frameworks. That Dr Maramorosch views cell culture in broad terms is clear from an examination of the contents of this volume. Over one-third of the book deals with aspects of insect cell culture, another third is directed toward two topics of warm-blooded animal cell culture and the remaining third is divided among chaplets dealing with plant and fish cell culture and mycoplasma contamination of cultures in general.

with cell culture Aspects of insect cell culture covered in

the volume include a chapter on culture media for insect cells giving detailed methods for preparation and formulations tor about 60 media devised for insect cell culture over the last 25 or so years, a thoughtful and well-constructed chapter dealing in a largely descriptive way with insect ovaries and follicles in culture and a chapter on in vitro morphogenesis of insect tissues that reviews the culture of imaginal discs for the study of developmental biol- ogy as well as some biochemical correlates of morphogenetic changes.

Chapters dealing with culture of cells from warm-blooded animals include a review of cellular senescence in vitro that is generally devoted to an extensively documented compilation of the consider- able body of published data on age-related changes in cultured cells and serves to point out, as stated in the conclusion of the chap- ter, that 'direct relationships between aging in vitro and in vivo remain undefined'. Also included is a worthwhile chapter on introduction and expression of foreign DNA in mammalian cells that provides a good general conceptual treatment of pro- cedures and ideas as applied to specific goals and, as a critical review of advances in this area, probably exemplifies best among the chapters of the volume the stated

goal of the series. Plant cell culture is represented in the

volume by a chapter on agricultural applica- tions of in vitro manipulations of plant cells and tissues that, while comprehensive in a sense, does not represent a critical review of hard data, but rather leans somewhat toward generalities and historical or philosophical considerations. The chapter on mycoplasma contamination of cell cul- tures is primarily and understandably devoted to reviewing methods for detection and identification of these organisms. Perhaps the least effective chapter in the volume is one on fish cell culture in which the authors place considerable emphasis on widely-used, routine techniques of general applicability that, not surprisingly, are also useful in the culture of fish cells.

Overall, the contents of Volume 2 of Advances in Cell Culture serve their in- tended purpose reasonably well, although a more extensive index might have helped those who approach the volume with a particular question in mind. The nature of the series requires that the book be viewed as a collection of independent chapters rather than as a coherent whole, and when examined in this way rni~ht be con- sidered variably successful. ~lcpending oll the particular chapter stud~ed.

DAVID BARNES Department of Biological "~. lences. University of Pittsburg. Pittsburg 1520d, USA.