The Proteus Effect: Stem Cells and Their Promise for Medicine

I have been active in biomedical research advocacy for many years, and in stem cell advocacy for the past four years , and Ann Parson's book is, without a doubt, the best treatment of this subject I have seen yet. Whether you have a science background, are a patient or patient's family member, or just wondered what Ron Reagan was doing at the Democratic convention, you have probably struggled to understand the complexity of stem cell technology. This is a task that has been complicated by all the media "noise" surrounding the field -- the ethical debates, the economic stakes, and the adversarial political climate. Ann Parson doesn't ignore these issues, but she cuts through and moves beyond them by doing something no one else has thought of doing: she deconstructs the science of stem cells. She takes us back to 1740, to the very earliest biological inquiry into animal regeneration properties, and then brings us forward in time to the present, stacking up the building blocks of acquired knowledge, experiment by experiment, scientist by scientist, until we find ourselves immersed in the goals and implications of stem cell science. Parson gives us lots of scientific information, but suffuses it with human interest and context, making it eminently readable by people of all backgrounds. If you feel like you have a citizen's obligation to figure out what the debate is all about - from the historical, medical, ethical and political perspectives - this is the book to start with.

Nothing if not newsworthy, stem cells seem to hold a tremendous hint of cures for a number of very bad diseases. At the same time there are issues being raised about the moral/ethical issues involved in doing any research at all on the cells. This book is really two or perhaps three books in one. Ms. Parson spends most of the time giving an excellent report on stem cells. Their history, the current research and the potential. The second point discusses the legal aspects of culling the cells and reproducing them. Finally she talks about the moral/ethical issues. I'm sure that her treatment of these issues will be enough to offend a lot of people, but it seems fair and straigforward to me. Adding interest to the book is the recent vote in California to spend a huge amount on stem cell research to establish California as a home for the huge business opportunities that people believe will result. One thing is certain, regardless of the legal/moral/ethical issues, stem cell research is going to continue. It may not be done in the US, but it will certainly be done in China, Japan, Finland, Sweden, UK, Korea, Greece, Singapore and other countries.

Proteus Effect is the story of stem cells. The author, Ann Parson, is a science reporter who has written articles on science topics for The New York Times, The Boston Globe and other such publications. Like all good reporters, she has done exhaustive research, has interviewed leading workers in the field and had presented her results without editorializing. The result is a readable and informative description of what is currently known about stem cells, the history of stem cell research and examples of how stem cell research bears on finding cures for diseases such as cancer, blindness, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries and many other medical problems. I recommend this excellent book highly to anyone who would like to understand what stem cells are, and how stem-cell research may impact the future of medicine.

For those who really want to know what is happening on one of the most important forefronts of medical science, Anne Parson's new book on stem cell research, "The Proteus Effect", is a must-read. And for those who are wondering about all the implications and controversy surrounding this contentious topic, Parson gives all the up-to-date information to help the reader to fully understand all sides of the debate. Parson first gives the reader a historical perspective on the scientists who braved this new world, with discoveries that went back as early as 1740. She brings us up to the present, by personally interviewing many of the key stem-cell research players, some of whom are finding ways to bypass governmental restrictions in order to explore the curative powers of these "immortal" cells. The litany of potential uses for stem-cells ranges from spinal cord injuries and Parkinson's disease to cancer, diabetes, depression, deafness, heart disease and even breast reconstruction. And stem cells may even hold a valuable key to combating the ravages of aging process. After reading Parson's book, one may wonder why anyone would choose to halt the progress of this potentially miraculous alleviation of human suffering.

This is a subject that I have wanted to be more informed about and the Proteus Effect does exactly that. Science subjects are usually hard for me to follow but Ann Parson had me turning the pages. This is a very informative and yet readable book which everyone should read.