Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
06:43
Functional Assessment of Intestinal Tight Junction Barrier and Ion Permeability in Native Tissue by Ussing Chamber Technique
Published on: May 26, 2021
Targeting tight junction proteins-significance for drug development
Masuo Kondoh1, Takeshi Yoshida, Hideki Kakutani
1Laboratory of Bio-Functional Molecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. masuo@phs.osaka-u.ac.jp
Drug Discovery Today
|February 16, 2008
Summary
Tight junctions (TJs) are crucial for cell membrane contact and offer novel drug targets. This review explores TJ cell biology and TJ-based drug discovery potential.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Drug Discovery
- Membrane Proteins
Background:
- Most drug targets are membrane proteins like GPCRs, channels, and transporters.
- Tight junctions (TJs) are cell-cell adhesion structures with critical barrier and fence functions.
- Potential drug targets within TJ membrane proteins have been largely overlooked.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the cell biology of tight junctions.
- To discuss the potential of tight junction components as drug targets.
- To highlight TJ-based drug discovery strategies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of tight junction cell biology.
- Analysis of TJ protein functions and interactions.
- Exploration of TJ-based drug discovery approaches.
Main Results:
- Tight junctions play vital roles in maintaining tissue integrity.
- TJ components exhibit unique structural and functional properties.
- Emerging evidence supports TJs as promising targets for therapeutic intervention.
Conclusions:
- Tight junctions represent an underexplored area for drug development.
- Understanding TJ cell biology is key to unlocking their therapeutic potential.
- TJ-based drug discovery offers new avenues for treating various diseases.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Tight Junctions
Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...
01:14Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions
The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another cell. These cell junctions are classified into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...
01:14Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions
The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another cell. These cell junctions are classified into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...
01:26Targets for Drug Action: Overview
Drugs target macromolecules to modify ongoing cellular processes. Primary drug targets include receptors, ion channels, transporters, and enzymes.
Receptors are either membrane-spanning or intracellular proteins, which upon binding a ligand, get activated and transmit the signal downstream to elicit a response. Drugs bind receptors, either mimicking the action of endogenous ligands or blocking the receptor activity to bring about a modified response. Nearly 35% of approved drugs target the G...
Receptors are either membrane-spanning or intracellular proteins, which upon binding a ligand, get activated and transmit the signal downstream to elicit a response. Drugs bind receptors, either mimicking the action of endogenous ligands or blocking the receptor activity to bring about a modified response. Nearly 35% of approved drugs target the G...
02:57Targeted Cancer Therapies
The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
02:26Protein Networks
An organism can have thousands of different proteins, and these proteins must cooperate to ensure the health of an organism. Proteins bind to other proteins and form complexes to carry out their functions. Many proteins interact with multiple other proteins creating a complex network of protein interactions.
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...