Van Agtmael, T. and Bruckner-Tuderman, L. (2010) Basement membranes and human disease. Cell and Tissue Research, 339 (1). pp. 167-188. ISSN 0302-766X http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/35275/ Deposited on: 30 August 2010 Enlighten – Research publications by members of the University of Glasgow http://eprints.gla.ac.uk Basement membranes and human disease Tom van Agtmael§ and Leena Bruckner-Tuderman* § Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K. and * Dept. of Dermatology, University Medical Center Freiburg and Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, Freiburg, Germany Corresponding authors: Tom Van Agtmael Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Davidson Building, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow UK,
[email protected],. Leena Bruckner-Tuderman Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hauptstr. 7, 79104 Freiburg, Germany. E-mail:
[email protected] Keywords: basement membrane, laminin, collagen, laminin, nidogen Abbreviations BM: basement membrane, NMJ neuromuscular junction, DEJ dermo epidermal junction, SJS Schwartz Jampel syndrome, DDSH Dyssegmental dysplasia silverman handmaker type, EB epidermolysis bullosa, GBM glomerular basement membrane 1 Abstract In 1990 the role of basement membranes in human disease was established by the identification of COL4A5 mutations in Alport’s syndrome. Since then the number of diseases caused by mutations in basement membrane components has steadily increased as has our understanding of the roles of basement membranes in organ development and function. However, many questions remain as to the molecular and cellular consequences of these mutations and how they lead to the observed disease phenotypes. Despite this, exciting progress has recently been made with potential treatment options for some of these so far incurable diseases.