What characteristic of drugs allows them to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) most effectively?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the specific characteristics of drugs that enable them to effectively cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This involves understanding the properties of drug molecules and how they interact with biological barriers.
Answer
Lipid solubility and small molecular size (<400 Da) help drugs cross the BBB effectively.
The most effective characteristic of drugs that allows them to cross the blood-brain barrier is their ability to undergo lipid-mediated free diffusion, which is more likely for small molecules with a molecular weight below 400 Da and low polar surface area.
Answer for screen readers
The most effective characteristic of drugs that allows them to cross the blood-brain barrier is their ability to undergo lipid-mediated free diffusion, which is more likely for small molecules with a molecular weight below 400 Da and low polar surface area.
More Information
The blood-brain barrier is a selective barrier that protects the brain but also poses challenges for drug delivery. Drugs usually need to be lipid-soluble and small to cross effectively, ensuring they can dissolve in the cell membrane of the barrier.
Tips
A common mistake is assuming all drugs cross the blood-brain barrier easily. In reality, only specific drugs with favorable properties like high lipid solubility can cross it successfully.
Sources
- Drug transport across the blood–brain barrier - PMC - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Characteristics of compounds that cross the blood-brain barrier - bmcneurol.biomedcentral.com
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