Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a short-chain biopolymer belonging to the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) family, naturally synthesized by various microorganisms as a storage form of carbon and energy [1, 2]. In eukaryotic and mammalian cells, a low-molecular-weight version known as complexed PHB (cPHB) is found ubiquitously within biological membranes, where it associates with inorganic polyphosphates and proteins [3, 4]. These cPHB complexes are hypothesized to play essential roles in structural membrane integrity and the regulation of ion transport, specifically as components or modulators of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) and calcium-selective channels [4, 5]. While PHB itself is not currently a primary therapeutic target for drug discovery, it is of significant interest in the biomedical field as a biocompatible and biodegradable material for drug delivery systems and tissue engineering scaffolds [6, 7]. Its primary degradation product, 3-hydroxybutyrate, is a major ketone body in humans that acts as a signaling molecule through receptors such as HCA2 (GPR109A), influencing inflammation and metabolic health [7, 8].

Other names

PolyhydroxybutyratePoly-3-hydroxybutyric acidP3HBPoly-beta-hydroxybutyrate3-hydroxybutyric acid polymer

Not applicable as Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) is a biopolymer and metabolite rather than a classical therapeutic protein target.