Regulation of the intestinal epithelial paracellular barrier

Paracellular transport of orally-administered drugs, the passage of molecul es between adjacent intestinal epithelial cells, is impeded by a range of s tructural and functional features found in the intestine. An increased know ledge of the mechanisms that govern the paracellular barrier will enable th e pharmaceutical scientist to design novel and rational formulations and de livery platforms that will improve the oral bioavailability of therapeutic molecules, particularly proteins and peptides, which would be taken-up by t he paracellular pathway.