Background: Drugs must be transported to reach the site of action and to be removed from the body. Several proteins within the large family of ABC transporters (ATP-binding domain), are important for pharmacokinetics. In this review article we present, from a clinical point of view, ABC transporters that are known to be important for basic and clinical pharmacology.
Material and method: This overview is based on literature identified through a non-systematic search in PubMed and on results from our own work.
Results: Members of the subfamilies ABCB and ABCC, are most known for contributing to multidrug resistance towards cytostatic and antibiotic drugs. ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein) is shown to form a functional intestinal barrier and the blood-brain barrier by pumping out potentially toxic substances. More recent research indicates that ABC transporters play an important role in absorption, distribution and elimination of many drugs and that their function is dependent on the individual genotype.
Interpretation: Individualized therapy may become feasible when more knowledge about ABC transporters is available.