Multiple biomolecular substrates

Multiple biomolecular substrates is a generic classification used in pharmacological databases, such as ChEMBL (Target ID: CHEMBL2363065), to describe drugs that lack a single, specific molecular target. This designation is most commonly applied to DNA-reactive agents, including alkylating drugs like cyclophosphamide and cisplatin, which form covalent adducts with various cellular components such as DNA, RNA, and proteins (PubChem, NIH). Because these agents interact with a wide array of biological molecules simultaneously, they do not fit the traditional one-drug, one-target model of modern pharmacology (StatPearls). While these interactions are therapeutically exploited in oncology to disrupt the cell cycle and induce apoptosis, the lack of specificity leads to significant systemic toxicity and secondary malignancies (PubMed). Consequently, this term serves as a placeholder for non-specific chemical reactivity rather than representing a distinct, druggable biological entity (UniProt). The use of this term in clinical data often indicates that the drug's efficacy is derived from its broad chemical reactivity rather than high-affinity binding to a specific protein pocket.

Other names

Non-specific biomolecular targetsVarious cellular substratesMultiple targets

Non-specific covalent modification of cellular macromolecules including DNA, RNA, and proteins