Morphology, physiology, and biochemistry of biliary epithelia.

In this review, we have emphasized the importance of cholangiocytes in biology and pathology and highlighted recent advances in experimental approaches to study these increasingly important cells. It is anticipated that major advances will continue to be made in our understanding of how these cells function and the processes which result in their dysfunction. The techniques are now available to allow major inroads in our understanding of the pathobiology of cholangiocytes.