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Review
. 2018 Jan 26:9:27.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00027. eCollection 2018.

Transporter-Guided Delivery of Nanoparticles to Improve Drug Permeation across Cellular Barriers and Drug Exposure to Selective Cell Types

Longfa Kou  1   2 , Yangzom D Bhutia  1 , Qing Yao  2 , Zhonggui He  2 , Jin Sun  2 , Vadivel Ganapathy  1
Affiliations
Review

Transporter-Guided Delivery of Nanoparticles to Improve Drug Permeation across Cellular Barriers and Drug Exposure to Selective Cell Types

Longfa Kou et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Targeted nano-drug delivery systems conjugated with specific ligands to target selective cell-surface receptors or transporters could enhance the efficacy of drug delivery and therapy. Transporters are expressed differentially on the cell-surface of different cell types, and also specific transporters are expressed at higher than normal levels in selective cell types under pathological conditions. They also play a key role in intestinal absorption, delivery via non-oral routes (e.g., pulmonary route and nasal route), and transfer across biological barriers (e.g., blood-brain barrier and blood-retinal barrier. As such, the cell-surface transporters represent ideal targets for nano-drug delivery systems to facilitate drug delivery to selective cell types under normal or pathological conditions and also to avoid off-target adverse side effects of the drugs. There is increasing evidence in recent years supporting the utility of cell-surface transporters in the field of nano-drug delivery to increase oral bioavailability, to improve transfer across the blood-brain barrier, and to enhance delivery of therapeutics in a cell-type selective manner in disease states. Here we provide a comprehensive review of recent advancements in this interesting and important area. We also highlight certain key aspects that need to be taken into account for optimal development of transporter-assisted nano-drug delivery systems.

Keywords: intestinal absorption; nano-drug delivery systems; nanoparticles; plasma membrane transporters; targeted drug delivery; transfer across blood–brain barrier.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Transporter-assisted nanoparticles for (A) increased site-specific absorption and (B) enhanced permeation across a biological barrier.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The intracellular fate of transporter-assisted nanoparticles based on transporter-mediated endocytosis.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
The intracellular fate of transporter when used as target for nanoparticles.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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