Transporters and Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes in Disease and Drug Interactions: Mechanisms, Prediction, and Clinical Impact

Transporters and drug-metabolizing enzymes are critical determinants of drug disposition and response. Beyond their classical roles in pharmacokinetics, growing evidence indicates that their expression and activity are significantly dysregulated in diseases such as cancer, metabolic disorders, and inflammatory conditions. These alterations can contribute to disease progression, drug resistance, and interindividual variability in treatment outcomes. Importantly, disease-driven changes in transporter and enzyme function can also modify drug–drug and herb–drug interaction risk, complicating dose selection and safety in clinical practice. However, the molecular mechanisms driving such dysregulation, including transcriptional control, signaling pathways, and environmental factors, remain incompletely elucidated. This Research Topic seeks to consolidate knowledge on the pathophysiological modulation of these proteins, providing a foundation for novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.The collection aims to address gaps in understanding how transporters and metabolizing enzymes are regulated in pathological contexts and how these changes influence therapy response, precision dosing, and drug–drug/herb–drug interaction risk. We will achieve this by curating studies that: (1) characterize disease- or context-dependent changes in protein expression, localization, and/or function using in vitro, in vivo, or clinical models; (2) decipher underlying mechanisms (e.g., transcriptional and epigenetic regulation, post-translational modifications, protein–protein interactions, and environmental modifiers); and/or (3) translate these findings into applications for drug discovery, biomarker development, drug interaction prediction/management, and therapy personalization. By integrating multidisciplinary approaches, from computational pharmacology to functional genomics, we aim to establish a translational framework that bridges basic research and clinical practice, ultimately advancing precision medicine.We welcome submissions covering themes including, but not limited to:- Dysregulation of transporters and drug-metabolizing enzymes in chronic, inflammatory, metabolic, infectious, or oncologic diseases- Mechanistic studies of transcriptional, epigenetic, post-translational, or environmental regulation- Implications for drug–drug and herb–drug interactions (including disease-mediated interaction effects), resistance reversal, and therapy optimization-Methodological and translational advances (e.g., imaging, proteomics, multi-omics, or AI-based modeling)Studies need to comply with the best practice guidelines of the section if plant or fungal extracts or other complex mixtures are investigated including the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology. A detailed description of the material studied, its extraction, and processing is essential. You can freely download the full version here. Please self-assess your MS using the ConPhyMP tool, and follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205. Please note the traditional context including the primary background and modern uses with supporting references must be included in the manuscript introduction. Purely in silico approaches using complex mixtures (extracts) are generally not considered. Topic editors: Fenglei Huang, Yanna Zhu, Guo Ma Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77150/transporters-and-drug-metabolizing-enzymes-in-disease-and-drug-interactions-mechanisms-prediction-and-clinical-impact