The Language of Life: How Cells Communicate in Health and Disease

  • Debra Niehoff
Joseph Henry Press: 2005. 306 pp. $27.95 0309089891 | ISBN: 0-309-08989-1

“The language of all cellular societies is similarly based not on sounds or gestures but on chemistry. Using molecules where we would use words, constructing sentences from chains of proteins, the cells that make up...multicellular organisms inform, wheedle, command, exhort, reassure, nurture, criticize and instruct each other.” This is how Debra Niehoff introduces The Language of Life, her original and absorbing book on the language of modern biology.

At its best, the prose is quite breathtaking. The first chapter immerses us in the world of a waltzing, shuffling, twirling Escherichia coli bacterium as it moves towards a potential meal. The process of chemotaxis is beautifully elucidated, with wonderful analogies to explain receptor–ligand interactions. Take for instance this personal ad: “‘Are you my better half?’– SFP (single folding protein) with secure position in healthy cell seeks compatible molecule with interest in chemical engineering, architecture, or communication for exclusive short-term relationship.”

Niehoff excels when describing the chemical language of bacterial colonies, neurons, the immune system and the first eukaryotes. Indeed the 16 pages describing the innate and adaptive immune systems are an almost perfect example of how to communicate complex scientific ideas to a non-specialist audience.

Cell signalling is a complex subject, especially as it occurs in the cells of vertebrates, and the general reader may struggle in some sections of the book. However, after each ‘tough’ molecular-biology section, Niehoff glides easily into simple analogies, or even family anecdotes, and manages to keep a reader's interest. The descriptions of cell communication are enlivened by stories of key scientists and their discoveries, and by interviews with some of those currently contributing to the field. This important subject is moving quickly as scientists rapidly decipher the language of cells. It has a strong translational element and drives pharmaceutical research.

The ‘disease’ aspect of the title mainly relates to cancer and autoimmunity, where basic research has already led to novel, targeted and effective therapies. To cover all this ground, the book needs to be both wide-ranging and topical — and it is, impressively so. Niehoff has done her research well.

Biology is a continuum, but sometimes this point is not made strongly enough. Readers might benefit from more frequent reminders of the parallels between primitive and more sophisticated cellular systems. Although the final chapter on the ‘virtual cell’ is important, I would have appreciated a concluding chapter that brought the whole story together, emphasizing the common lines of communication that link higher organisms with marine bacteria and the Hawaiian bobtail squid.

Having said that, this book is an invaluable introduction to, or reminder of, biomedical science for many lab scientists, and will also be enjoyed by a general scientific audience. Many Nature readers spend their working days trying to listen to the language of cells and to find ways to stop cells talking so much. Will these readers enjoy this book? My own personal benchmark for a ‘popular’ science book is that it is placed ahead of books by Ian Rankin, P. D. James and Patricia Cornwell as favourite bedtime reading. Niehoff's book passes that test. I shall certainly take it into the lab as recommended reading for my PhD students, and will be interested to hear their views.