Enhanced cellular uptake of drugs

Enhanced cellular uptake of drugs is a functional objective in pharmacology and drug delivery rather than a specific biological molecule or therapeutic target [1][2]. It refers to the process of increasing the internal concentration of therapeutic agents within target cells to maximize efficacy and overcome biological barriers such as the cell membrane and the blood-brain barrier [3][4]. This objective is typically achieved through specialized technologies, including nanoparticles, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), and physical methods like sonoporation or electroporation, which facilitate the entry of molecules that otherwise have low permeability [1][5][9]. In the context of oncology, enhancing cellular uptake is a primary strategy used to bypass or reverse multi-drug resistance (MDR) mediated by efflux pumps like P-glycoprotein [2][5]. Because it describes a functional outcome or a technological goal rather than a discrete protein, enzyme, or receptor, it does not have a unique molecular classification or a standard set of interacting drugs in a traditional ligand-receptor framework [1][8].

Other names

Improved intracellular drug deliveryIncreased drug internalizationEnhanced cellular accumulationCellular drug penetration enhancement

Not applicable as this is a process/goal rather than a discrete molecular target.