The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human

Like many essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mukherjee was overwhelmed, saddened, and angered by the psychological, physical, and emotional toll the virus took on people, by the death toll, and by the near collapse of the healthcare system. He spent a year writing about “bodies succumbing to illness, about a cellular system poised for battle against invaders” (260). Instead, Mukherjee wanted to write about how to restore and maintain homeostasis within the cellular system so that it, in turn, can maintain human physiology. As he notes, he “wanted to turn to citizenship, to belonging” (260). Mukherjee does exactly this in Part 5. He focuses on the heart, brain, pancreas, kidney, and liver, the organs most central to helping the body maintain homeostasis.

However, as Mukherjee has established, homeostasis is constantly at war with pathological aberrations. Especially poignant examples in this section are brain and mood imbalances. For example, the glial cell is responsible for pruning cellular debris. Recent studies suggest that malfunctions in pruning might be linked to schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. What’s fascinating about glial cells is that scientists ignored them in favor of neurons for decades. However, researchers now realize that nearly every aspect of neurobiology involves glial cells. Some of the most transformational medicines for brain health will likely derive from these cells.

Depression is another example. Mukherjee recounts his own battle: “I felt as if I were drowning in a tide of sadness that I could not swim past or through. Superficially, my life seemed perfectly in control—but inside, I felt drenched in grief” (286). Mukherjee isn’t the only individual to use metaphors to describe depression, which he learned by speaking with renowned neurologist Helen Mayberg. Mayberg pays close attention to these metaphors because they help her understand her patients’ experiences and how deep brain stimulation (DBS) affects their mood: “These pictures, these descriptions tell you so much more than checking boxes on a depression scale” (294).

Although DBS has had mixed results, Mukherjee notes that this is normal. With any new medicine, “some attempts might succeed; some might fail” (296). If DBS does succeed, however, it will transform life for many. People could regulate their moods, something they currently can’t do. The ability to personally manipulate cells would move people into the “new human” category. Mukherjee finds this potential exciting because he, like many others, could benefit from “‘brain pacemakers’” (296).

Similar to DBS, new experimental studies to create an artificial pancreas could further develop “new humans.” Type 1 diabetes affects millions of people around the world. Immune cells attack beta cells, and the pancreas is thus unable to produce insulin. If scientists succeed in creating an artificial pancreas that the body accepts, it could render diabetes obsolete: “It would become part of us, a new form of ‘all flesh’” (309). The pancreas coordinates metabolism. When it doesn’t function properly, cells don’t get the fuel they need. Thus, the artificial pancreas would truly create a “new human” because it would touch every cell within the body.

Mukherjee doesn’t shy away from putting himself into his narrative, which helps build rapport since he discusses things that many can relate to. As one example, Mukherjee examines the dynamics in his family, including a reserved and unreachable father and a detached grandmother. When Mukherjee’s father was young, a forced move from Pakistan to India resulted in a loss of home and deeply scarred Mukherjee’s father and grandmother for the rest of their lives. While attending college in the US, Mukherjee reconnected with his father (who lived in India) through letters. His father’s letters told stories, enabling Mukherjee to get to know him in a different way and helping him understand how the loss of home impacted his father and grandmother so much. While studying in the US, he yearned to be home in India. Even now, India is his home, but unlike his father, he can visit home. This story is relatable because most feel attached to or have a sense of belonging to a certain place. In addition, the story sets the stage to start thinking about how cells don’t just stand ready to attack (which was the focus of the book prior to Part 5) but also work in coordination to achieve balance and belonging.