Cytochrome P-450 and drug development for skin diseases

Cytochromes P-450 (CYPs) are the most versatile and important class of drug-metabolizing enzymes which are induced in mammalian skin in response to xenobiotic exposure. CYPs are the target of special interest in the development of pharmaceuticals for skin diseases because most, if not all, drugs available in the armamentarium of the dermatologist are substrates, inducers or inhibitors of this enzyme family. The functional significance of drug metabolism in the skin and the implication of CYP in skin pathology and therapy is an area for future investigation. A detailed insight into the mechanism of action of various cutaneous CYPs, being capable of modulating the drug bioavailability, will be helpful in the development of better strategies for novel therapy against constantly increasing skin disorders. This brief review puts some of these perspectives together and suggests additional research in the area of CYPs with regard to their expression and modulation in mammalian skin as well as their implication in dermatological disorders and the therapy of skin diseases.