 a better understanding of the intestinal epithelial barriers regulatory mechanisms and its role in maintaining health and disease could lead to new therapies for various conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and others. Restoring barrier function with drugs or probiotics could help ameliorate many health problems caused by loss of integrity due to genetics, gut microbes, autoimmunity, diet, or other factors. This article was authored by Chaitanya Chellicott, J Wangim, and Sun Ho Riu.