This book provides an overview of the world market of therapeutic enzymes and enzyme inhibitors, rare diseases, orphan drugs, the costs of drug development and therapies, and enzymes in downstream processing of pharmaceuticals. It discusses carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and their multiple drug interactions, carboxylesterase inhibitors for pharmaceutical applications, employment of inhibitors for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, use of engineered proteins, bioactive peptides, and fibrinolytic enzymes for thrombolytic therapy, and enzymes important for the design and development of new drugs/drug metabolites such as aldehyde oxidases and cytochrome P450 enzymes and the role the latter play in vascular biology and pathophysiology. The treatment of cancer is explored in connection with enzymatic amino acid deprivation therapies and new drugs that act as chemical degraders of oncogenic proteins. The book also introduces the resistance mechanisms of cancer. Furthermore, it provides an insight into the relationship between pathological conditions of cardiovascular disease and oxidative stress. The text also focuses on the potential use of nanoparticles as carriers for enzymes with medical relevance, computer-aided drug design for the identification of multi-target directed ligands, and the development of improved therapeutics through a glycan-"designer" approach. It concludes with an introduction to the chemoenzymatic synthesis of drugs.
"This book is an important addition to the literature in this field. It not only summarizes the importance of enzymes as targets for pharmaceutical drug research in the past but also shows that there is still enormous potential in the future. Motivated by Peter Grunwald, a large group of experts have shared their specialist knowledge. The book a treasure for anyone working or doing research in the field."Prof. Theo Dingermann, Goethe University, Germany"This book represents an outstanding scientific work. It covers the state of the art, challenges, and key achievements of research focusing on the use of enzymes for therapeutic purposes. It discusses the fundamentals of enzyme function and its applications and shows how this fantastic research field has been explored in drug discovery and innovation for gaining a better understanding of enzymes and their use for a better quality of life."Prof. Cláudio Viegas Jr., Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil
