Review by Choice Review
Serious readers will readily become aware that this book's format is not like what is routinely encountered in a scientific publication. Instead, Wapner, a free-lance science writer, presents a detailed chronology of the scientific events occurring from the discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome in 1959 to the FDA approval of Gleevec in 2001 as an oral drug for treating chronic myelogenous leukemia. During this period, scientists established a cause-effect link between a gene defect and the development of a specific cancer. The book reads like a novel with some occasional descriptive details, such as "her broad face framed by her loosely bunned hair" or "his piercing blue eyes reflecting his active mind." In storybook fashion, two of the main characters marry near the end of the account. Events are repeatedly associated with the names of those involved. Quotes obtained by direct interviews with scientists appear frequently, but literature citations are not identified in the text. The work is very readable and interesting, but may be beyond the scope of nonscientists. A glossary, a list of scientists interviewed, and lists of original research citations, reviews, and other publications round out the text. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals. R. S. Kowalczyk formerly, University of Michigan
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is an uncommon but fatal cancer. More than 95 percent of patients afflicted with this malignancy have a chromosomal abnormality known as the Philadelphia chromosome. This genetic mutation is characterized by a swap of genetic matter between two different chromosomes so that a single chromosome (number 22) has a piece missing. The mutated chromosome codes for an enzyme tyrosine kinase that is hyperactive and ramps up production of white blood cells that leads to leukemia. A chemical compound was identified that selectively targets the kinase protein. Gleevec was FDA approved in 2001, and the results have been quite impressive. It outperformed the existing first-line treatment for CML. It is safer than a bone marrow transplant. Gleevec is unique among cancer drugs because it is taken orally (instead of administered intravenously) at home (instead of the hospital or clinic) with very manageable side effects. Science writer Wapner has pieced together a detailed account of a spectacular scientific success story and a turning point in the treatment of cancer.--Miksanek, Tony Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this meticulously detailed chronicle, science writer Wapner recaps the remarkable development of Gleevec, a cutting-edge drug capable of beating the typically fatal cancer of white blood cells known as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). But the story of Gleevec's progress also illuminates how a "minute chromosome"-discovered in Philadelphia in 1959-led scientists on a journey to the genetic roots of cancer and "the modern era of personalized medicine." Gleevec's triumph-a 2012 study conducted of patients who had taken the drug 10 years ago showed a 68% survival rate-ultimately overcame the daunting unwillingness of Big Pharma and oncologists to accept a lab-synthesized "molecularly targeted medicine." "In eighteen years," Wapner writes, "a vision had been wrestled into reality." Her gracefully written history skillfully combines both the science and humanity of this fascinating search for a cure for CML, including the heartbreaks of Gleevec-pioneering M.D. Brian Druker, thwarted efforts to get the drug into trials, jealousies between scientists, the love story of a reporter and Druker, and the compelling accounts of the patients themselves, who bravely tested the drug and ultimately reclaimed their lives. 8-page photo insert. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency. (May 13) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
From the first sighting of a strangely shaped chromosome to modern-day drug design, which often relies on computer modeling, cancer research has depended on translating lab results into practical treatments for patients. In her first book, science journalist Wapner expands on her reportage with a meticulous account of the half-century effort to battle chronic myeloid leukemia, a deadly cancer that only in recent years has met its match-the targeted drug called Gleevec. Narrator Heather Henderson conveys Wapner's fluid prose with a calm yet dynamic delivery. VERDICT Recommended for all listeners. This is a layperson-friendly piece of medical writing. For those who are worried about drowning in detail, no life jacket is required. ["An excellent book for those who want to learn more about how medical discoveries are made and those interested in recent medical history, as well as those whose lives are affected by CML," read the review of the Experiment hc, LJ 5/15/13.-Ed.]-Kelly Sinclair, Temple P.L., TX (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Science writer Wapner uses the development of a successful cure for a once-fatal form of leukemia to illustrate the application of genetic engineering to the frontiers of current medical practice. The discovery of the structure of DNA unleashed the potential to use genetically engineered pharmaceuticals in the treatment of cancer. It took longer than the succeeding 10 years for phrases like "genetic mutation" and "chromosomal abnormality" to become part of the scientific vernacular. By 1959, when the available investigative tools were still primitive by today's standards, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania discovered an abnormality in the relative sizes of two chromosomes. Ultimately, this led to an understanding of the role of oncogenes, but first a marriage had to take place. The prevailing theory, based on the study of chicken tumors, was that since cancers were contagious, they were caused by viral infection. After virologists determined the genetic makeup of viruses, they opened a second trajectory for the research. They made the remarkable discovery that a normal, proto-oncogenetic chicken gene was temporarily assimilated into an "infecting" virus where it mutated. Normally, the proto-oncogenes were also found in healthy humans, as well as chickens and other animals. Now that the gene was identified, a similar process was discovered in the Philadelphia Chromosome. In this case, a mutated oncogene was located at the point where two specific chromosomes split and interchanged positions before their parts were rejoined. The next problem was to establish the gene's role in normal cell regulation and how to block its functioning after it had mutated. Wapner weaves together the basic and applied science with the stories of the dedicated researchers, the broader supporting superstructure of modern medicine and the process of bringing pharmaceuticals to market. An absorbing, complex medical detective story.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
