Books

In his new book 'Your brain knows more than you think,' the neuroscientist Professor Niels Birbaumer, a Senior Research Fellow at the Wyss Center, in Geneva, Switzerland, investigates the limitless capacity of the brain to remold itself.

"The Biology of the TGF-β Family" provides a comprehensive view of the different members of the TGF-β family, the signaling pathways they control, and how they influence development, normal physiology, and disease. The contributors describe the various TGF-β family ligands, including activins and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), the structures and functions of the type I and type II receptors, and how ligand-receptor binding is regulated. Both Smad and non-Smad signaling pathways are discussed.

"Cell Polarity", published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, reviews our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in establishing and maintaining cell polarity, as well as their relevance for human disorders. Contributors discuss how cells coordinate signaling pathways, membrane trafficking, and cytoskeletal remodeling to ensure proper spatial arrangement of cellular components. Processes such as transcytosis, exocyst-mediated vesicle trafficking, and endosomal sorting are covered in detail.

"Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine", published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (CSHLP), surveys tools that are currently available to scientists and engineers in the field and how they have been used to fabricate physiologically appropriate tissues and organs. The contributors discuss the preparation of biologically active scaffolds that induce regenerative responses, three-dimensional bioprinting strategies to fabricate structures in preprogrammed patterns, and scaffold-free approaches using cells capable of self-assembly.

"The Biology of Exercise", published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, examines the biological basis of exercise from the molecular to the systemic levels. Contributors discuss how transcriptional regulation, cytokine and hormonal signaling, glucose metabolism, epigenetic modifications, microRNA profiles, and mitochondrial and ribosomal functions are altered in response to exercise training, leading to improved skeletal muscle, hippocampal, and cardiovascular function. Cross talk among the pathways underlying tissue-specific and systemic responses to exercise is also considered.