A key challenge for the next decades is to develop effective, safe, environmental friendly and economic technologies to convert lignocellulosic biomass into target molecules. The catalytic transformation of cellulose in aqueous phase is a promising way to obtain valuable products. This short review highlights different aspects related to this process from cellulose nature to its reactivity in various operating conditions. Focus will be made on recent advances dealing with use of heterogeneous catalysis for cellulose transformation. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.