The aim of this project, which is performed in the University of Helsinki, is to study the impact of lysosomal transporters on intracellular drug distribution. Many drug targets are intracellular, and lysosomal drug accumulation can affect the efficacy and safety of drugs. We will first compare lysosomal membrane proteins in different cell types and cell stress, as it is likely that the expression is both cell- and environment-specific. Based on this data, we will select transporters for knockdown, to determine their effect on a set of drugs with uneven intracellular distribution. Lysosomal transporters that are found to influence intracellular drug distribution will be subjected to more detailed characterization. Our results can uncover mechanisms causing drug toxicity, lack of efficacy, drug resistance as well as reveal new drug targets for a variety of diseases where the newly identified lysosomal functions have gained interest.

2024

2028