Bile acids in drug discovery

Recent advances have provided important new information on the physiological mechanisms of bile acid transport and metabolism. Bile acids, which are essential for the digestion and absorption of lipids and lipid-soluble vitamins, are metabolic: products of cholesterol and are a major regulator of cholesterol homeostasis. Bile acids are pharmacologically interesting as potential carriers of liver-specific drugs, absorption enhancers and as new cholesterol-lowering agents. Furthermore, the tools of molecular recognition and combinatorial chemistry have been used to explore the drug discovery possibilities of bile acids. The authors explore current understanding and future prospects for bile acid research.