{"entity":{"id":"enzyme","kind":"term","name":"Enzyme","aka":["enzymes","enzymatic"],"tldr":"A protein that speeds up a specific chemical reaction by binding its substrate in an active-site pocket. Kinases, PARP and topoisomerases are enzymes and drug targets, because a small molecule lodged in the active site stops the reaction.","summary":"Enzymes bind their substrate in a pocket called the active site, convert it, and release the product thousands of times per second. Kinases, which attach phosphate groups, and PARP, which helps repair DNA, are enzymes; so are topoisomerases, which untangle DNA and are the targets of several chemotherapy drugs and ADC payloads. Small-molecule inhibitors usually work by lodging in the active site so the natural substrate cannot enter.","asOf":"2026-09-09","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme"}],"tags":[],"related":["protein","kinase","inhibitor","phosphorylation"],"cancers":[],"sections":[],"technologies":["topoisomerase-inhibitors"],"targets":["parp"],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"category":"Biology basics"},"route":"/terms/enzyme/","neighbours":{"term":[{"id":"inhibitor","kind":"term","name":"Inhibitor","route":"/terms/inhibitor/"},{"id":"kinase","kind":"term","name":"Kinase","route":"/terms/kinase/"},{"id":"phosphorylation","kind":"term","name":"Phosphorylation","route":"/terms/phosphorylation/"},{"id":"protein","kind":"term","name":"Protein","route":"/terms/protein/"}],"technology":[{"id":"topoisomerase-inhibitors","kind":"technology","name":"Topoisomerase-I inhibitors (and ADC payloads)","route":"/technologies/topoisomerase-inhibitors/"}],"target":[{"id":"parp","kind":"target","name":"PARP","route":"/targets/parp/"}],"cancer":[{"id":"pancreatic","kind":"cancer","name":"Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma","route":"/cancers/pancreatic/"}]}}