Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling to predict drug metabolism in the rat brain

Drug metabolism is a fundamental step of drugs to act and move in the body. Cytochorome P450 (CYP) enzymes, the most important metabolizing enzymes, are superfamily that metabolize a vast array of compounds, especially drugs. While drug metabolism occurs predominantly in the liver so that CYP enzymes in other organs has been understudied, brain CYP-mediated metabolism of drugs can also impact their local brain concentration. As reaching at effective concentration is a direct parameter to success or failure of drug treatment, brain metabolism could be significantly influence on therapeutic effects of drugs. The objective of this study is to describe brain metabolism via CYP enzymes of drugs in rats in vivo by using physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling which is a valuable mathematical approach to predict the temporal profiles of drugs and their metabolite in consideration of physiology of the species. This study is expected to suggest more effective approaches to treat and prevent brain diseases.

Faculty Supervisor:

Sandy Pang

Student:

Partner:

Seoul National University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: