Alterations in Cellular Processes Involving Vesicular Trafficking and Implications in Drug Delivery

Silvia Muro1,2,3

  • 1Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research and Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. smuro@ibecbarcelona.eu.

Insights

Endocytosis and vesicular transport are key for drug delivery, but factors like disease, drugs, and poor models can hinder their effectiveness. Optimizing these cellular routes is crucial for therapeutic success.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Pharmacology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Endocytosis and vesicular trafficking are fundamental cellular processes essential for life.
  • These processes are critical targets for improving therapeutic drug delivery across biological barriers and into diseased cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically review the use of endocytosis and vesicular transport for drug delivery.
  • To discuss current achievements, limitations, and future perspectives in this field.
  • To highlight the impact of various factors on the efficacy of vesicular transport for drug delivery.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of endocytosis and vesicular transport mechanisms in drug delivery.
  • Analysis of factors affecting vesicular transport, including disease pathology, drug activity, and drug carriers.
  • Evaluation of current cellular models and their physiological relevance.

Main Results:

  • Vesicular transport offers significant translational potential for drug delivery.
  • Numerous factors, often overlooked, can alter vesicular transport routes, impacting drug efficacy.
  • Existing cellular models frequently lack physiological relevance, impeding translational progress.

Conclusions:

  • Altered vesicular transport, due to disease, drugs, or carriers, presents a major challenge.
  • Improved cellular models reflecting physiological parameters are needed for advancing drug delivery.
  • Further research is essential to overcome limitations and harness the full potential of vesicular transport in therapeutics.

Related Concept Videos

Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport01:23

Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport

Drugs need to permeate cell membranes to reach their target sites after administration. Orally administered drugs must transcend intestinal epithelial membrane barriers to infiltrate the systemic circulation. Drugs with a molecular weight of less than 500 Daltons diffuse through gaps between neighboring cells, called paracellular pathways.
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
1.7K
Vesicular Tubular Clusters01:45

Vesicular Tubular Clusters

After budding out from the ER membrane, some COPII vesicles lose their coat and fuse with one another to form larger vesicles and interconnected tubules called vesicular tubular clusters or VTCs. These clusters constitute a compartment at the ER-Golgi interface known as ERGIC (Endoplasmic Reticulum Golgi Intermediate Compartment). The ERGIC is a mobile membrane-bound cargo transport system that sorts proteins secreted from ER and delivers them to the Golgi.
With the help of motor proteins such...
3.1K
Drug Delivery: Overview01:16

Drug Delivery: Overview

The selection of a drug's delivery route depends upon its physicochemical properties, including lipid or water solubility and ionization, as well as the therapeutic requirement, such as immediate or sustained effect. These routes can be divided into three primary categories: enteral, parenteral, and topical.
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the...
760
Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport01:24

Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport

Drugs must traverse multiple biological barriers, such as multi-layered skin, single-layered intestinal epithelium, and the plasma membrane, to reach their target sites within the body. The plasma membrane, a highly structured composite of phospholipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, is the cell's protective boundary, facilitating selective substance exchange.
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
1.5K