title: [ABC transporters' impact on effect and metabolism of drugs].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Drugs must be transported to reach the site of action and to be removed from the body. Several proteins within the large family of ABC transporters (ATP-binding domain), are important for pharmacokinetics. In this review article we present, from a clinical point of view, ABC transporters that are known to be important for basic and clinical pharmacology.
  
  
  METHODS
  This overview is based on literature identified through a non-systematic search in PubMed and on results from our own work.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Members of the subfamilies ABCB and ABCC, are most known for contributing to multidrug resistance towards cytostatic and antibiotic drugs. ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein) is shown to form a functional intestinal barrier and the blood-brain barrier by pumping out potentially toxic substances. More recent research indicates that ABC transporters play an important role in absorption, distribution and elimination of many drugs and that their function is dependent on the individual genotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individualized therapy may become feasible when more knowledge about ABC transporters is available.
authors.affiliation: Forskningsgruppe for medisinsk farmakologi og toksikologi, Institutt for medisinsk biologi, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, Universitetet i Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Arne Martin
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Slåtsve
authors.forename: Aina Westrheim
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Ravna
authors.forename: Roy Andre
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lyså
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sager
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001682:Biological Availability; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D027425:ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family C Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010597:Pharmacogenetics; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D057285:Precision Medicine
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D027425:ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family C Proteins