General metabolic enzymes and pathways

General metabolic enzymes and pathways refer to the integrated network of biochemical reactions and the catalytic proteins responsible for maintaining cellular homeostasis, generating energy, and synthesizing essential macromolecules [1]. This broad category encompasses fundamental processes such as glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, fatty acid oxidation, and the pentose phosphate pathway [2]. While not a single therapeutic target, specific enzymes within these pathways are critical focal points for drug development; for example, HMG-CoA reductase is targeted for cholesterol management, and dihydrofolate reductase is targeted in cancer chemotherapy [3]. Dysregulation of these pathways is a hallmark of numerous pathologies, including type 2 diabetes, where gluconeogenesis is overactive, and cancer, where cells undergo metabolic reprogramming to support rapid proliferation (the Warburg effect) [4]. Because many of these enzymes are expressed ubiquitously, achieving therapeutic selectivity without disrupting normal physiological function remains a significant challenge in drug design [3]. Sources: [1] Wikipedia: Metabolism; [2] NIH/NCBI: Metabolic Pathways; [3] StatPearls: Biochemistry, Metabolic Pathways; [4] Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology: Targeting metabolism in cancer.

Other names

Metabolic networkIntermediary metabolismCellular metabolismPrimary metabolism

Drugs targeting metabolic pathways typically act as competitive or non-competitive inhibitors of specific rate-limiting enzymes, as allosteric modulators of metabolic sensors, or as antimetabolites that mimic natural substrates to disrupt biosynthetic flux [2, 3].