Involvement of Drug Transporters in Organ Toxicity: The Fundamental Basis of Drug Discovery and Development

Membrane transporters play a pivotal role in many organs to maintain their normal physiological functions and contribute significantly to drug absorption, distribution, and elimination. Knowledge gained from gene modified animal models or human genetic disorders has demonstrated that interruption of the transporter activity can lead to debilitating diseases or organ toxicities. Herein we describe transporter associated diseases and organ toxicities resulting from transporter gene deficiency or functional inhibition in the liver, kidney, gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and central nervous system (CNS). While proposing additional transporters as targets for drug-induced organ toxicity, strategies and future perspectives are discussed for transporter risk assessment in drug discovery and development.