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Drug Transporters

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ADME Processes in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Abstract

Membrane transporters perform a central function in protecting the body from xenobiotics (either by preventing their absorption, limiting their distribution or promoting their elimination). Transporters can also take part in the traffic and compartmentalization of endogenous compounds. In some particular cases, they may favor drug absorption and/or distribution. Accordingly, they are of major importance from a pharmacological perspective. Transporter protein science is an emerging field, and their identification and characterization continue to evolve, with their medical and pharmaceutical impact being still far from being fully understood. In relation to drug kinetics, two gene families coding for polyspecific transporters are of particular importance: the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and the solute carrier (SLC) transporters. Both will be discussed in this last chapter of this volume.

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Further Reading

  • Transporter science is an expanding field, and this chapter is only intended as an introduction to the topic. The reader may find deeper insight into some excellent volumes that specifically deal with the subject, such as the ones edited by You and Morris (Drug Transporters: Molecular Characterization and Role in Drug Disposition, Second Edition, Wiley, 2014); Pang, Rodrigues, and Peter (Enzyme- and Transporter-based Drug Drug Interactions. Progress and Future Challenges, Springer, 2010); or Ecker and Chiba (Transporters as Drug Carriers. Structure, Function, Substrates, Wiley-VCH, 2009)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Bioactive Research and Development (LIDeB), Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, University of La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Alan Talevi

  2. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Alan Talevi

  3. Medicinal Chemistry/Laboratory of Bioactive Research and Development (LIDeB), Faculty of Exact Sciences, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Carolina Leticia Bellera

  4. Department of Pharmacology, Argentinean National Institute of Medications (INAME), Administración Nacional de Alimentos, Medicamentos y Tecnología Médica (ANMAT), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Guido Pesce

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  1. Alan Talevi
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  2. Carolina Leticia Bellera
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  3. Guido Pesce
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Correspondence to Alan Talevi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Bioactive Research and Development (LIDeB), Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, University of La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Alan Talevi

  2. Quality Control of Pharmaceutical Products, Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Pablo A. M. Quiroga

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Talevi, A., Bellera, C.L., Pesce, G. (2018). Drug Transporters. In: Talevi, A., Quiroga, P. (eds) ADME Processes in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99593-9_14

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