Crohn’s disease (CD) is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and affects diverse segments of the entire gastrointestinal tract. Although the underlying causes of CD are not completely known, it is believed that disruption of the intestinal barrier and cell polarity may contribute to pathogenesis. The formation of the intestinal epithelial barrier, which is mainly regulated by cytoskeletal modulations, and apico-basal cell polarity are two major and mutually dependent features of the intestinal epithelial layer. As this layer serves as an important barrier between the external environment and the internal milieu, the defect can start an inflammatory cascade by failing to block the entrance of luminal pathogens and lead to CD. In this review, we highlight the factors and impact of intestinal barrier function and cell polarity in the natural history of CD. The discussion in the present review further strengthens the new challenge in facilitating the development of viable pharmacological targets.

克罗恩病 (CD) 是一种炎症性肠病 (IBD)，影响整个胃肠道的不同部位。虽然 CD 的根本原因尚不完全清楚，但据信肠道屏障和细胞极性的破坏可能有助于发病。肠上皮屏障的形成（主要受细胞骨架调节）和顶端基底细胞极性是肠上皮层的两个主要且相互依赖的特征。由于该层是外部环境和内部环境之间的重要屏障，因此该缺陷无法阻止管腔病原体的进入，从而引发炎症级联反应并导致 CD。在这次审查中，我们强调了 CD 自然病程中肠道屏障功能和细胞极性的因素和影响。本综述中的讨论进一步加强了促进可行药理靶点开发的新挑战。