112 BOOK REVIEWS

it would not be consulted very frequently, particularly when there is such a high quality alternative available.

N. ANDERSON Royal Group of Hospitals Trust

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Molecular ~ e u r o p a ~ h o l o g ~ . GARETH W. ROBERTS and JULIA M. POLAK (Eds). Cambridge

University Press, Cambridge, 1996. No. of pages: 189. Price: E24.95. ISBN: 0 521 42558 I . Molecular Neuropathology is part of the new series in

postgraduate medical science, based on the specialist training programmes at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London. Their aim is to provide biomedical and clinical scientists with a reliable introduction to the theory, techniques, and clinical applications of each topic. Part 1 deals with basic techniques, and Part 2 with applications.

Part 1 starts with a chapter on brain banks and is a useful guide to those not aware of the problems associated with the collection and categorization of post-mortem material. Since this is the starting point for many molecular studies, it is important that scientists wishing to use this material should appreciate some of the difficulties involved. The ethical and legal considerations are briefly dealt with, followed by discus- sion of the need for accurate diagnosis and reliable clinical documentation. Collection of material and the means of distributing it to researchers are also covered. The following three chapters on RNA isolation, the polymerase chain reac- tion, and in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH) give fairly detailed accounts of these basic techniques, as well as variations and suggestions for optimization. A reader without a basic knowledge of molecular biology would probably find some difficulty in following some of these sections and would

need first to become familiar with some of the terminology and principles involved. The chapter on ISHH is somewhat narrow in scope as it concentrates entirely on applications to psychi- atric disease and the use of radioactive probes. Many workers now favour the use of non-radioactive labels, which are more compatible with histological techniques and can be as sensi- tive, with optimized detection systems. Common detection methods are used both for non-radioactive probes and for immunocytochemistry techniques, which are covered in the next chapter, and a broader view of ISHH could easily have been presented. The final chapter on autoradiography deals essentially with ligand labelling studies and could again have been broadened, to advantage, by covering the use of these techniques in areas such as ISHH.

Part 2 addresses the application of molecular techniques to neurological disease. The chapters on human prion diseases, cerebral amyloidoses, and transgenic animals are very pertinent and give good accounts of current knowledge at the molecular level and of the methods used to produce transgenic models. The topics of intracerebral transplantation and image analysis, while of interest to many neuroscientists, could be considered to fall outside the remit of molecular neuropathology.

Overall, this book is a useful source of information for postgraduate students and other workers wishing to gain an understanding of molecular neuropathology. Certain chap- ters, particularly those concerned with applications, would also be of value for teaching the molecular aspects of neuro- science to undergraduate science or medical students. A com- prehensive reference text covering this field has been long overdue.

L. C. COSBY Queen's University

Belfast, Northern Irehnd