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Regulatory Mechanisms in Diseases of Epithelial Transport
Sponsored by The American Physiological Society and The American Society for Investigative Pathology
Channels and Transporters Track

The past decade has seen incredible progress in the molecular understanding of trans-epithelial transport. This includes cloning and functional analysis of transporters, tight junction and other polarity-determining proteins, and mechanosensory structures that sense and respond to flow. While work towards cloning and functional analysis continues, the current challenge is to understand how these processes are regulated, diseases that result from regulatory failure, and, ultimately, approaches to restore appropriate regulatory mechanisms and normal function. The goal of this session is to provide an update describing recent advances in understanding of regulatory mechanisms underlying epithelial transport. Topics to be discussed include epithelial membrane traffic, roles of polycystins in epithelial function, functional analysis of transport in vivo, and selectivity of paracellular transport. Each will be addressed with particular reference to normal function and how failure of function leads to disease.