"This is essential reading for everyone who would like to updatetheir knowledge of the pulmonary epithelium. It offers acomparison between laboratory animal models and human lungs,highlighting the differences and the similarities between the two,which will be particularly useful to researchers."-Doody's, April 2009The past two decades have seen extraordinary advances in ourunderstanding of the role of the pulmonary epithelium in airwayhealth and disease. Our understanding of epithelial biology hasexpanded exponentially in the past decade.This book provides a unique comprehensive description of thestructure of the epithelium, its damage by various agents and themechanism of epithelial repair. In addition, it's detailed coverageincludes not only the multiple ways in which the epitheliumcontributes to host defence, but also the nature and functionalconsequences of the interactions of inhaled pathogens, includingviruses, bacteria, allergens and pollutants. the role of theepithelium in regulating airway inflammation and structure is alsodiscussed, as is the role of the epithelium as a target for inhaledmedications and as a route for novel drug delivery.Containing chapters on multiple aspects of epithelial functionin health and disease, each one is written by a leader in thefield. This is essential reading for pulmonary researchers andphysicians requiring detailed advanced understanding of theepithelium as well as those working in allergy, biomedical andpharmaceutical research.