Drug binding to human fatty acid binding proteins: a mechanism of cellular transport for poorly water soluble drugs

Poorly water soluble drugs must cross the aqueous cytoplasm of intestinal cells if they are to be absorbed following oral administration. We have recently shown that drugs bind to fatty acid binding proteins which are abundant in the cytoplasm of these cells, and which physiologically play a role in the absorption and transport of endogenous lipophilic molecules such as fatty acids. The studies described in this application will examine the relationship between drug binding affinity for fatty acid binding protein and drug permeability across the absorptive epithelial cell in an attempt to better understand the mechanisms of drug absorption and transport.