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Biological barriers
5- Intracellular targeting
• Nuclear targeting (E.g. for Intercalating agents & in gene therapy)
– Small molecules pass through the nuclear membrane by passive
diffusion
– Macromolecules (>45 kDa) e.g. DNA must have specific targeting
signal (nuclear localization signal) which binds to specific proteins on
the nuclear membrane & mediate nuclear transport
• Mitochondrial targeting
– Mitochondria contains a small genome that encodes for 13 proteins.
– Dysfunction of the mitochondria relates to damage of this small genome
e.g. in Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy, Diabetes, Parkinson’s diseases
– Similar to the nucleus targeting is achieved by using mitochondrial
localization proteins