Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 13, Issue 12, 2013

Cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1; also P450c17and P450sccII) is a critically important enzyme in humans that catalyzes the formation of all endogenous androgens. It is an atypical cytochrome P450 enzyme in that it catalyzes two distinct types of substrate oxidation. Through its hydroxylase activity, it catalyzes the 17α-hydroxylation of pregnenolone to 17 α-OH pregnenolone. Subsequently, through its C17,20lyas Read More

Owing to the high degree of similarity between aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) and cortisol synthase (CYP11B1), the design of selective inhibitors of one or the other of these two enzymes was, at one time, thought to be impossible. Through development of novel enzyme screening assays and significant medicinal chemistry efforts, highly potent inhibitors of CYP11B2 have been identified with selectivities approaching 1000-fold Read More

Retinoic acid (RA), the active metabolite of vitamin A, is an important endogenous signaling molecule regulating cell cycle and maintenance of epithelia. RA isomers are also used as drugs to treat various cancers and dermatological diseases. However, the therapeutic uses of RA isomers are limited due to side effects such as teratogenicity and resistance to treatment emerging mainly from autoinduction of RA metabolism. To Read More

The Cytochrome P450 4 (CYP4) family of enzymes in humans is comprised of thirteen isozymes that typically catalyze the ω-oxidation of endogenous fatty acids and eicosanoids. Several CYP4 enzymes can biosynthesize 20- hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, or 20-HETE, an important signaling eicosanoid involved in regulation of vascular tone and kidney reabsorption. Additionally, accumulation of certain fatty acids is a Read More

Cytochrome P450 isozymes (CYPs) from the CYP1 and CYP2 families located primarily in extra-hepatic tissues represent ideal candidates for chemotherapeutic drug development because: 1.) They are usually involved in the metabolism of endogenous substrates that are important for cell homeostasis and growth 2.) The over-expression of certain CYPs has been reported in various malignancies 3.) There has been much cli Read More

Arachidonic acids are converted to eicosanoid mediators by the distinct enzyme systems: cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase and cytochrome P450 (CYP) monooxygenase pathways (ω/ω-1-hydroxylases and epoxygenases). CYP2J2, CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 are the predominant epoxygenase isoforms abundantly expressed in the endothelium, myocardium, and kidney in human. The primary epoxidation products by epoxygena Read More

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) bioreactors play a major role in establishing the practical use of this enzyme family in academia and industry. The current demand for enzymatic hydroxylations of unactivated carbons in the parmaceutical industry includes the preparation of drug metabolites and various hydroxylated synthetic precursors as well as the enzyme mediated lead diversification and natural product synthesis, most of wh Read More