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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
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