# Enzyme

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/enzyme/  
OnCo record `enzyme` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

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.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: enzymes; enzymatic

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme

## Connected records

- terms: [Inhibitor](https://onco.cc/terms/inhibitor/), [Kinase](https://onco.cc/terms/kinase/), [Phosphorylation](https://onco.cc/terms/phosphorylation/), [Protein](https://onco.cc/terms/protein/)
- technologies: [Topoisomerase-I inhibitors (and ADC payloads)](https://onco.cc/technologies/topoisomerase-inhibitors/)
- targets: [PARP](https://onco.cc/targets/parp/)
- cancers: [Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/pancreatic/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/enzyme.json