Drug Transport Proteins
Drug Transport Proteins - Related Videos
13:17
The Mesenteric Lymph Duct Cannulated Rat Model: Application to the Assessment of Intestinal Lymphatic Drug Transport
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Cited by 55 •
2015
Here we describe a technique to cannulate the mesenteric lymph duct in rats which enables quantification of lipid and drug transport via the lymphatic system following intestinal delivery. The technique can be adapted to assess mesenteric lymph concentrations and/or transport of fluid, immune cells, peptides, proteins and lipophilic molecules.
18:57
Models and Methods to Evaluate Transport of Drug Delivery Systems Across Cellular Barriers
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Cited by 58 •
2013
Many therapeutic applications require safe and efficient transport of drug carriers and their cargoes across cellular barriers in the body. This article describes an adaptation of established methods to evaluate the rate and mechanism of transport of drug nanocarriers (NCs) across cellular barriers, such as the gastrointestinal (GI) epithelium.
01:24
Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport
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2024
Drugs must traverse multiple biological barriers, such as multi-layered skin, single-layered intestinal epithelium, and the plasma membrane, to reach their target sites within the body. The plasma membrane, a highly structured composite of phospholipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, is the cell's protective boundary, facilitating selective substance exchange. Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
01:24
Protein Transport to the Stroma
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2023
Chloroplasts are triple membrane structures with an outer membrane, an inner membrane, and a thylakoid membrane, each containing distinct metabolite transporters, membrane translocons, and enzymes. Appropriate sorting and translocating these proteins to their correct membrane systems is essential for chloroplast function. Protein complexes called the translocon of the outer chloroplast membrane or TOC complex, and the translocon of the inner chloroplast membrane or TIC complex mediate the...
01:22
Protein Transport to the Thylakoids
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2023
Thylakoids are membrane-bound sac-like structures within the chloroplast that serve as sites for photosynthesis. Thylakoid lumen contains many electron transport proteins and is enclosed by a thylakoid membrane rich in the light-harvesting complex. Proteins targeted to the thylakoids are transported as precursors and are sorted by the general TOC/TIC import pathway. Once the precursor reaches the stroma, stromal processing peptidases remove their transit signal and expose thylakoid signal...
FAQs
ABC efflux transporters use energy from ATP hydrolysis to move therapeutic agents across the cell membrane. This activity can reduce the amount of drug retained inside cancer cells, weakening exposure at the cellular target and lowering treatment sensitivity. Measuring their activity therefore helps explain why a tumor may respond poorly even when the medicine reaches the surrounding tissue.
Tumor sensitivity reflects the balance between drug entry and drug removal. Influx transporters can increase intracellular access to a medicine, while active efflux can reduce that access by lowering intracellular concentrations. Comparing these opposing activities helps researchers interpret differences in treatment response among cancer cells and identify whether limited entry or enhanced removal may contribute to reduced sensitivity.
Genetic variation can alter the expression or activity of transport proteins, changing how a medicine moves through cells and tissues. Drug interactions can produce another source of variability when one compound affects transporter-mediated handling of another. Together, these factors may modify pharmacokinetics, intracellular drug exposure, and treatment outcomes, making transporter status relevant when explaining differences between patients or tumors.
A useful investigation considers transporter expression and activity alongside intracellular drug exposure, tumor sensitivity, and multidrug resistance. Researchers can also examine genetic variation and potential interactions between transporters and the medicines being evaluated. Relating these features to treatment response helps distinguish a transport-associated resistance pattern from a general lack of drug effectiveness and supports more focused therapeutic studies.
Transporter information can support treatment strategies designed to preserve effective drug concentrations inside cancer cells. Researchers may use differences in transporter expression or activity to identify tumors more likely to remove therapeutic agents efficiently, then use that information when designing or selecting therapies. This approach connects resistance mechanisms with the development of more effective treatment plans.
These studies connect membrane transport with drug exposure, pharmacokinetics, tumor sensitivity, and clinical treatment response. They can help explain why the same medicine produces different outcomes when transporter expression, activity, genetic variation, or drug interactions differ. In cancer research, that information supports interpretation of resistance patterns and informs efforts to design therapies with improved effectiveness.