organospécifique

Organospécifique, or organ-specific, is a term used in pharmacology, toxicology, and physiology to describe phenomena, substances, or effects that are restricted to or predominantly directed at a particular organ. The concept acknowledges that the distribution and action of drugs, toxins, or hormones vary among tissues due to factors such as blood flow, receptor expression, transporter activity, metabolism, and tissue microenvironments.

The mechanisms underlying organospécifique include receptor- or transporter-mediated uptake into target tissue, selective metabolic activation or inactivation, and physical accumulation related to tissue perfusion or binding to tissue components. This concept helps explain organ-specific toxicity, such as liver injury from certain compounds or nephrotoxicity from specific chemotherapeutics, as well as organ-targeted therapeutic strategies that aim to deliver drugs preferentially to a chosen organ.

Applications of organospécifique include the design of prodrugs activated in a specific organ, the development of targeted drug delivery systems (such as carriers and nanoparticles) that concentrate therapeutics in the desired tissue, and diagnostic imaging that uses organ-selective tracers to improve accuracy. The concept also informs risk assessment and the interpretation of pharmacokinetic data, particularly when adverse effects or therapeutic benefits are confined to a single organ.

Etymology and terminology: the term blends organo- with spécifique from French, literally meaning “organ-specific.” In English-language pharmacology and toxicology, organ-specific or organotropism are commonly used alternatives.

See also: organotropism, targeted therapy, prodrug, pharmacokinetics.

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