From the Viewpoint of Drug Metabolism Research

Since more than 70% of clinically used drugs are excreted from the body through metabolic processes, drug metabolism is a key determinant of pharmacokinetics, drug response and drug toxicity. Much progress has been made in understanding drug-drug interactions via the inhibition or induction of cytochrome P450s (P450, CYP), as well as the effects of genetic polymorphisms of P450s on pharmacokinetics, and this has facilitated the progress of optimized pharmacotherapy in the clinic. Now, similar information is needed for non-CYP enzymes, especially concerning Phase I enzymes, based on advanced basic and clinical studies. Recently, it was revealed that post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs or RNA editing plays a significant role in regulating the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes, thus conferring variability in the detoxification and metabolic activation of drugs or chemicals. Changes in the expression profile of microRNAs in tissues or body fluids can be a biomarker of drug response and toxicity; therefore, such studies could also be useful for drug repositioning. In addition, microRNAs are involved in pharmacogenetics, because single nucleotide polymorphisms in microRNA binding sites of mRNAs, or microRNAs themselves, may cause changes in gene expression. Some microRNA-related polymorphisms could be biomarkers of the clinical outcome of pharmacotherapy. In this review article, recent progress and future directions for drug metabolism studies are discussed.