From One Cell

June 15, 2023
Cell research has the potential to unlock a new generation of treatments, according to a leader in the field. Medical research is a series of small steps, each one building on the lessons learned before. This is the story that gastroenterologist Stanger, who combines cutting-edge research with clinical work, tells in this book. Embryos have long been recognized as the initial phase of life, but they raise the intriguing questions of how cells multiply, how they differentiate and coalesce to form organs, and how they eventually die. Through a series of biographical sketches, Stanger traces the gradual development of the knowledge base, including the unlocking of the connection between cells and genes. Ingenious experiments with frogs and flies provided an understanding of hereditary characteristics and mutations. Many of the breakthroughs came from strange places, such as studies of radiation poisoning, the structure of viruses, and the way that tumors grow. The discovery of DNA was a crucial step, and it paved the way for genetic engineering. Stanger has a particular interest in regenerative medicine, an emerging field that owes much to an understanding of embryo development. It uses cell-based procedures to repair damaged organs, potentially even spinal cords. There are also applications in the treatment of cancer and cognitive decline. The author also highlights important research into the development and transplantation of organs grown artificially. Stanger emphasizes that there is a long way to go, but the potential is huge. Due to the subject matter, parts of the book are complex and require a close reading, but there is a useful glossary of terms, and Stanger does his best to avoid jargon. Ultimately, the author delivers an informative package of how this field of medicine has developed and where it might be going. An authoritative account of a critical area of medical research and the promises it holds.

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Starred review from June 26, 2023
“How does an entire animal... arise from a single cell?” asks Stanger, a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in his superb debut. Offering a thorough overview of how single-celled zygotes grow into complex organisms, Stanger profiles researchers whose experiments have contributed to the current scientific understanding of development, starting with English naturalist Robert Hooke’s discovery of cells in 1665 by examining cork under a magnifying glass. Also discussed are French biologists François Jacob and Jacques Monod’s tests in the late 1950s on E. coli bacteria, which found cells acquire specialized roles through the regulation of genes, and German embryologist Hilde Mangold’s 1921 grafts of newt embryos, which revealed that “cells ‘talk’ to one another during development.” Cell research, Stanger contends, holds promise for devising new medical treatments, including the ability to repair damaged nerves after spinal injuries or to disrupt cancer cells’ ability to communicate with and control other cells. The scientific explanations are enlightening and related with helpful analogies (Stanger suggests that each cell contains an organism’s full genome for the same reason actors work from complete scripts, instead of only their own lines), showcasing the surprising and impressive abilities of cells. Readers will marvel at this stimulating and comprehensive deep dive.