Summon up the Blood - In dogged pursuit of the blood cell regulators

Abstract

Summon up the Blood – In dogged pursuit of the blood cell regulators. Donald Metcalf. AlphaMed Press, Dayton, OH, USA, 2000. Pp. 214. ISBN: 1-88085-427-9 (hard bound); 1-88085-428-7 (soft bound). This book tells the tale of the development of a field of research in which the towering figure of Donald Metcalf played a crucial role. Although this book is a personal account and the focus of the book remains firmly in the author's place of work, the story unfolds as transcending the relevance of just one (albeit very important) research group. As usual with good stories, different readers will see, enjoy and reflect on different things. ]Those of us old and lucky enough to have been in experimental haematology from the beginning will recognize the sense of beauty and wonder felt when blood cell colonies were first seen. The tale unfolds from the time in which it was possible to read every published paper on the subject to the subsequent explosion of information leading to the now established therapeutic approaches this work made possible. Those involved in other fields of research will also recognize the moments of despair, the doubts, the aborted paths, the sheer monotony of the repetitive and dull nature of some necessary work, and the strengths needed to overcome all these. Perhaps more important, and certainly educational, is the philosophy underlying the research of the group in Melbourne. As the author states, ‘We have never been mere pursuers of active molecules’. It is obvious from the book that perfect resolution of a piece of the jigsaw was never enough. There was, and is, the need to understand the whole picture and the realization that, without knowing where the piece fits, its relevance is limited. This is a message that needs shouting from the rooftops at a time when the astonishing rate at which information is acquired may tempt some researchers to see what may be just one step as the end of their endeavours. Those starting research careers may see the evidence of the author's respect for his colleagues. This is shown by the emphasis placed on teamwork throughout the text and in the list of collaborators at the end of the book, in which the publications of those who worked with the Melbourne group are acknowledged. Although it is not possible to learn of the individual contributions from the mere numbers of publications that a person authored, the long span of time the book covers makes it difficult for the reader to apportion due recognition to all participants. There is a glowing and deserved tribute, however, to Ray Bradley, the first to grow colonies of haemopoietic cells in vitro, who always had the enthusiasm for science that Donald Metcalf shows throughout this book. I have read it with pleasure and trust this pleasure will be shared by readers interested, not only on knowing the development of a rewarding field of research better, but also some of the philosophy of science, the stories that put flesh on science's sometimes dry bones and the human quality of the participants in this tale.