ABSTRACT
The interaction of drugs with components of living cells is one of the main factors determining their pharmacological action. In this respect, studies of “drug-membrane interactions” and clearing up of their physical and physico-chemical mechanisms are among the most important tasks of modern biophysics. This includes direct effects of various biologically active substances upon phase states of lipid bilayers, as well as related aspects of the drug delivery processes. In this review, the effects of drugs of different chemical natures on the liquid crystalline phase transitions of model phospholipid multibilayer structures are analyzed. Special attention is paid to peculiar features of the joint action of different drugs, and the effects of ion environment are also considered. Applications of the proposed approaches in medico-biological studies are discussed, including pre-clinical testing of the newly developed drugs.
