Endogenous metabolic enzymes

Endogenous metabolic enzymes represent a broad and diverse class of proteins responsible for catalyzing the biochemical reactions necessary for cellular maintenance, energy production, and the synthesis or degradation of biological molecules. This category encompasses enzymes involved in primary metabolism—such as those in the glycolysis, TCA cycle, and lipid biosynthesis pathways—as well as xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes like the Cytochrome P450 family, which are critical for the detoxification and clearance of drugs (StatPearls, 2023). Many of these enzymes serve as primary therapeutic targets; for instance, HMG-CoA reductase is targeted by statins to manage hypercholesterolemia, while xanthine oxidase is targeted by allopurinol to treat gout (NIH, 2022). Dysregulation of metabolic enzymes is a hallmark of various pathologies, including 'metabolic reprogramming' in cancer cells to support rapid proliferation and the underlying defects in inborn errors of metabolism (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2021). Because these enzymes are often integral to systemic homeostasis, pharmacological intervention must be highly specific to avoid disrupting essential physiological processes or causing significant drug-drug interactions.

Other names

Metabolic enzymesBiotransformation enzymesCellular enzymesMetabolic catalysts

Competitive inhibition, non-competitive inhibition, allosteric regulation, and enzyme induction or suppression.