by J. Adolfo GarcÃa-Sáinz, MD and PhD - Instituto de Fisiologia Celular, UNAM. Mexico
I recently enjoyed reading the book "Endothelial Luminal Membrane-Glycocalyx: Functionalities in Health and Disease" by Rafael Rubio and Maureen Knabb, published by Morgan & Claypool Life Sciences. In this book the authors present a comprehensive, but not overwhelming, panorama on the roles that endothelial cells and the fuzzy coat that surrounds their external surface, the glycocalys, plays in the normal function of the organism and in the pathogenesis of some diseases. Scientists working in the biomedical fields, and young graduate and postdoctoral students might consider the endothelium as a homogenous monolayer of cells lining the vasculature, capable of releasing a variety of mediators that contribute through paracrine communication, to the maintenance of homeostasis. The authors convincingly argue that this is an oversimplification and that the endothelial luminal membrane-glycocalyx (ELMG) is the functional unit of a heterogeneous system that coordinates general physiology through sensing and responding to physical (pressure, shear stress, among others) and chemical (pH, ions, hormones, neurotransmitters, autacoids or local hormones, among others) stimuli. In my opinion the authors succeeded in compiling information and presenting it in an attractive form, not only for the experts, but for a wider biomedical audience. It could be a very attractive addition for most institutional and personal libraries.