Biology and Regulation of BloodTissue Barriers

This book was written by many outstanding investigators who have spent decades to study different aspects of bloodtissue barrier function. They have summarized some of the latest and fascinating development in their fields of research including the bloodbrain barrier, the bloodretinal barrier, the gut barrier, the bloodbiliary barrier, the bloodfollicle barrier, the bloodepididymis barrier, the bloodtestis barrier, the tight junction barrier in general as well as barriers in the female reproductive tract. Included are also chapters that focus on topics that are physiologically applicable to all bloodtissue barriers. Many of these chapters also include information on specific human diseases, such as pathological changes of the gut barrier that cause bowel disorders resulting from inflammation of the epithelial lining in the intestine, and infertility in men as a result of disruption of the bloodepididymal and/or bloodtestis barriers; and on new therapeutic approaches (e.g., drug delivery across the bloodbrain and the bloodretinal barriers).