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Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Models and Methods to Evaluate Transport of Drug Delivery Systems Across Cellular Barriers
Published on: October 17, 2013
Role of Passive Diffusion, Transporters, and Membrane Trafficking-Mediated Processes in Cellular Drug Transport
1Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Abstract:
Intracellular drug accumulation is thought to be dictated by two major processes, passive diffusion through the lipid membrane or membrane transporters. The relative role played by these distinct processes remains actively debated. Moreover, the role of membrane-trafficking in drug transport remains underappreciated and unexplored. Here we discuss the distinct processes involved in cellular drug distribution and propose that better experimental models are required to elucidate the differential contributions of various processes in intracellular drug accumulation.
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