Daily exposure to toxins may damage the epithelium, according to the epithelial barrier hypothesis, linking compromised barriers to nearly two billion cases of allergic, autoimmune, psychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Epithelial damage disrupts skin and mucosal barriers, contributing to allergies, inflammatory bowel disorders, and celiac disease. Further research is needed to develop models for tracking environmental antigens, aiding prevention and therapy development.

This EAACI Knowledge Hub module is supported by unrestricted financial support from AstraZeneca.