Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Construction of Cyclic Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Enhanced Penetration of Biological Barriers
Published on: September 19, 2022
Cell-Penetrating Peptides as Carriers for Transepithelial Drug Delivery In Vitro
Stine Rønholt1, Mie Kristensen, Hanne Mørck Nielsen
1Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Abstract:
There is a growing interest in the use of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) as carriers for transepithelial drug delivery. This chapter gives an introduction to and discussion of the commonly used production and characterization methods for CPP-cargo samples including high-throughput cell viability screening. Moreover, we describe methods for permeation and cell viability assessment in the Caco-2 cell culture model with and without implementation of biosimilar mucus. Last, a method to assess metabolic degradation in vitro is described.
Related Concept Videos
Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
Carrier-Mediated Transport
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
Pore Transport and Ion-Pair Transport
Pore transport, also known as convective transport, is a process where small molecules like urea, water, and sugars rapidly cross cell membranes as though there were channels or pores in the membrane. Although direct microscopic evidence is limited but the concept of pores or channels is widely accepted based on physiological evidence. Despite the lack of direct...
Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Permeability Enhancement
Methods for Studying Drug Absorption: In vitro
The diffusion cell method uses a two-compartment cell, including a donor compartment with the drug solution, which simulates the environment where the drug is applied, and a receptor compartment with a buffer solution, which simulates the environment...

