Defective function at the epithelial junction: A novel therapeutic frontier in asthma?

The airway epithelium forms a highly regulated physical barrier that normally prevents invasion of inhaled pathogens and allergens from the airway lumen.

Authors:
Knight, D. A.; Stick, S. M.; Hackett, T. L.

Authors notes:
Clinical Immunology. [Editorial Material]. 2011 Sep;128(3):557-8

Keywords:
Epithelium, asthma, airways, adhesion, barrier, tight junctions, cells, inflammation, adhesion, protein

Abstract:
The airway epithelium forms a highly regulated physical barrier that normally prevents invasion of inhaled pathogens and allergens from the airway lumen.