<i>Metal Ions and Neurodegenerative Diseases</i> Paolo Zatta, Editor. World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd, Singapore, 2004, pp 400

Metal ions are essential for the normal metabolism of neurons in both central and peripheral nervous systems, and it is therefore not surprising that altered metabolism of metal ions results in disorders of the nervous system. Therefore, the publication of Metal Ions and Neurodegenerative Diseases is especially timely and will be of considerable value to researchers from a variety of disciplines. The book, as the title indicates, focuses on the role of metal ions in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, among a host of others. Immediately striking upon opening the book is that the list of contributing authors to the 22 chapters reads like a who's who in the field and includes the vast majority of notable researchers in this field. As such, the book, expertly edited by Professor Paolo Zatta (CNR-National Research Council, Italy), is a compendium of the latest history, research, and new theories in neurodegenerative disorders. This is perhaps particularly pertinent since despite progress in understanding the molecular mechanism of this category of diseases, the pathological underpinnings of neurodegenerative diseases still remain very much elusive. Since many lines of evidence suggest that oxidative stress is a key feature of neurodegeneration, it is perhaps inevitable that transition metals, such as copper and iron, capable of producing reactive oxygen species are most frequently discussed. However, there is ample discussion of the role of other metal ions in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, this belies a great strength of the book since there are many common features among metal ions in cellular homeostasis or metabolism; focusing on all metals allows a better understanding of the relationship between metal ions and neurodegenerative diseases. As previously stated, the authors are all experts in the fields of metal research in neuroscience, and therefore it is not surprising that all of the articles, sans none, are written with insightfulness and with a concise expression of ideas. With great confidence we can recommend this book not only to the experts of this field but also to the metal ion novices who are interested in the relationship between metal ions and neurodegenerative diseases.