Issue 41, 2019

Biomaterial–tight junction interaction and potential impacts

Abstract

The active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) have to cross the natural barriers and get into the blood to impart the pharmacological effects. The tight junctions (TJs) between the epithelial cells serve as the major selectively permeable barriers and control the paracellular transport of the majority of hydrophilic drugs, in particular, peptides and proteins. TJs perfectly balance the targeted transport and the exclusion of other unexpected pathogens under the normal conditions. Many biomaterials have shown the capability to open the TJs and improve the oral bioavailability and targeting efficacy of the APIs. Nevertheless, there is limited understanding of the biomaterial–TJ interactions. The opening of the TJs further poses the risk of autoimmune diseases and infections. This review article summarizes the most updated literature and presents insights into the TJ structure, the biomaterial–TJ interaction mechanism, the benefits and drawbacks of TJ disruption, and methods for evaluating such interactions.

Graphical abstract: Biomaterial–tight junction interaction and potential impacts

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
30 5 2019
Accepted
22 7 2019
First published
23 7 2019

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2019,7, 6310-6320

Author version available

Biomaterial–tight junction interaction and potential impacts

X. Han, E. Zhang, Y. Shi, B. Song, H. Du and Z. Cao, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2019, 7, 6310 DOI: 10.1039/C9TB01081E

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