Biological Barriers, Target of Natural and Biomolecules

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last few decades, the rapid progress in biotechnology and accurate phytopharmacon recognition has accelerated. In medical practice, the large-scale production of therapeutic molecules is available from these sources. Blocking barriers must be taken into consideration in any cases concerning the investigation of promising natural compounds and bioeffective materials from any sources. High scientific interest accompanies these interactions. Delivery systems have been developed to address a wide range of interconnected problems in pharmacokinetics. Often, these entail the investigational compound crossing one or more biological barriers that exist throughout the body—tissues and/or materials produced by tissues—which block the exchange of matter. These barriers may be obvious physical entities, such as skin, or more poorly defined, such as the connective tissue around a nerve and/or the various sheaths that surround it (per-, epi-, and endoneurium), and/or the lipid-rich Schwann cells prominent around some axon types. Barriers may not initially be recognized as being obstacles or as being addressable by drug delivery systems. Barriers may be substantially free of living cells, such as the outer layer of skin, or may be composed of cells with connections that make circumventing them difficult, as in the blood–brain barrier. Connective tissues might be sites of biochemical interaction that evolve various pathological pathways as well. Experimental results of this field provide useful data not only to enhance our understanding of these interactions but to support further formulation procedures to develop innovative, more effective, and safe compositions as well. This Special Issue on “Biological Barriers, Target of Natural and Biomolecules” aims to present these novel data. Original papers, short communications, and interesting overviews of the current knowledge in this field are welcomed.

Dr. Ildikó Bácskay
Dr. Pálma Fehér
Dr. Zoltan Ujhelyi, PharmD PhD
Guest Editors

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• natural compounds
• biomolecules
• biological barriers
• innovative formulations
• cell cultures
• penetration enhancers
• barrier functions
• delivery systems