Regulation of Tight Junctions for Therapeutic Advantages

Abstract

Tight junctions (TJs) mediate cell-cell adhesion between epithelial cells, maintain cell polarity and regulate the paracellular transit of ions and molecules. Epithelial cells in order to become cancerous disassemble their TJs. Although many TJ proteins are down-regulated during cell transformation, others are in contrast overexpressed. The case is particularly relevant for claudins, where not only each tissue, but each tumor within a given organ expresses a speci fi c set of claudins. In this chapter we will explain how the expression of TJ proteins in cancerous cells, has been used as a molecular tool to identify tumors and predict patient survival rates. In addition we will describe novel strategies that target TJ proteins for cancer treatment and to enhance the delivery of therapeutic drugs through the paracellular pathway of tumors