For more than 30 years, Current Topics in Developmental Biology has provided a forum for dissemination and discussion of new ideas and thought in developmental biology. Bringing together a series of articles on the structural, functional, and developmental characteristics of epithelials, this thematic volume represents a timely and valuable contribution to an exciting and multidisciplinary field of study. Because defects in epithelial function and growth control play a major role in human disease—cancerous tumors, spina bifida, cardiac malformations, for example—this volume will be of particular interest to researchers working in cancer drug design and development and those working in therapeutic areas to treat developmental abnormalities.