Respiratory epithelial barrier function

The respiratory epithelial barrier function describes the collective ability of the airway epithelium to act as a dynamic physical and biochemical barrier. It prevents inhaled particles, pathogens, and allergens from penetrating underlying tissues, maintains homeostasis, and orchestrates immune responses. Mucociliary clearance, tight and adherens junctions (e.g., ZO-1, occludin, claudins, E-cadherin), and secretion of antimicrobial peptides are central to this function. Disruption of these barrier elements underlies the pathophysiology of diseases such as asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary fibrosis by allowing increased penetration of harmful agents and persistent immune activation[1][2][3][4][5]. Because "respiratory epithelial barrier function" is a physiological property rather than a discrete, druggable molecular target (such as a receptor or enzyme), it is not listed as a canonical molecular target. Instead, drug discovery focuses on specific molecules (e.g., tight junction proteins, growth factor receptors like EGFR and HER2) that regulate barrier integrity[1][4].

Other names

Airway epithelial barrierPulmonary epithelial barrierAirway barrier function