title: Pathways and progress in improving drug delivery through the intestinal mucosa and blood-brain barriers.
abstract: One of the major hurdles in developing therapeutic agents is the difficulty in delivering drugs through the intestinal mucosa and blood-brain barriers (BBB). The goal here is to describe the general structures of the biological barriers and the strategies to enhance drug delivery across these barriers. Prodrug methods used to improve drug penetration via the transcellular pathway have been successfully developed, and some prodrugs have been used to treat patients. The use of transporters to improve absorption of some drugs (e.g., antiviral agents) has also been successful in treating patients. Other methods, including blocking the efflux pumps to improve transcellular delivery, and modulation of cell-cell adhesion in the intercellular junctions to improve paracellular delivery across biological barriers, are still in the investigational stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, 2095 Constant Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA.
authors.forename: Marlyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laksitorini
authors.forename: Vivitri D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Prasasty
authors.forename: Paul K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Kiptoo
authors.forename: Teruna J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Siahaan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism*; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D004058:Diffusion; D004337:Drug Carriers; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010539:Permeability; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface