The Paracellular Channel

The Paracellular Channel: Biology, Physiology and Disease serves as the first volume to offer a cohesive and unifying picture of the critical functions of paracellular channels (tight junctions) in different tissues. This new class of ion channel utilizes a completely different mechanism to create ion passage pathways across the cell junction. This volume outlines common principles that govern the organization and regulation of these diverse cellular structures, describes the methodology of study, and highlights the pathophysiologic consequence of abnormal structure and functions of the paracellular channels in human diseases. Coverage includes biochemical, biophysical, structural, physiologic analyses of the paracellular channel, and new technologies for recording and characterization. - Offers integrated coverage of all key aspects of the paracellular channel, an understudied field that may hold key insights into some of the most mysterious aspects of physiology - Targets different levels of expertise, spanning from graduate students, interns and clinical fellows, to seasoned researchers that study functions, regulation and dysfunctions of different tissue barriers - Provides a cohesive and unifying picture that describes the critical functions of paracellular channels (tight junctions) in different tissues

Jianghui Hou is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, at Washington University Saint Louis. Hou received his bachelors in biochemistry from Nanjing University, China. He received Master (with distinction) and Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh, UK. Dr. Hou did his postdoc in cell biology at Harvard Medical School. He has been at Washington University since 2009. Dr. Hou is a renowned expert in studying tight junctions in different tissues, has published a number of high-profile papers in this field, and has recently pioneered a novel approach for high-resolution measurement of the tight junction permeability.