The transmembrane and intracellular transport of drugs: interactions with the cytoskeletal network.

Abstract The transport of molecules and/or larger corpuscular material into the cells takes place in plasma membrane and plasma membrane-derived vesicles and vacuoles. Transmembrane and intracellular transport of various materials plays an essential role in the final cellular effects of the drugs. Cytoskeletal network forms a three-dimensional array in the cytoplasm of cells and is closely related to the plasma membrane. Thus, the cytoskeleton significantly affects various processes such as endocytosis, organization and fluidity of the membrane, activity of ion channels, or localization of intracellular organelles. The interactions of the cytoskeletal system with cellular transport of drugs are the scope of this article.