Pulmonary Drug and Peptide Transport

David A. Groneberg, Hannelore Daniel
From: Science & Medicine: Volume 10 Number 4: Page 218 (August 2008)

Abstract: Desire for alternative forms of drug delivery regularly leads to interest in aerosolic drug delivery. Rational drug design offers the potential to generate aerosolic compounds that are transported efficiently into the airway epithelium by distinct carrier proteins. One such protein is PEPT2, a high-affinity peptide transporter that is localized to bronchial epithelium and alveolar type II pneumocytes. Transport studies reveal that both peptides and numerous drugs including antibiotic, antiviral, and antineoplastic agents are carried by this transporter. Recent progress in understanding the structural requirements for substrate binding and transport makes PEPT2 a target for a rational design of drugs to be delivered to the airway epithelium via this peptide transporter.

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