Exploiting Nutrient Transporters at the blood–brain Barrier to Improve Brain Distribution of Small Molecules

Abstract

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a major physiological barrier for drugs that target CNS receptors or enzymes. Several methods exist by which permeability to the CNS can be increased, one of which is using native nutrient transporters to carry these drugs through the endothelial cells of the BBB. In this review, we focus on work that characterizes the use of nutrient transporters of the BBB in delivering drugs to the CNS.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program; BC096887 to Paul R Lockman. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.