Mammalian drug metabolism microbial models

Metabolism studies are essential for approval of any clinically useful drug. Microorganisms have been successfully used as in vitro models for prediction of mammalian drug metabolism due to the significant similarity of certain microbial enzyme systems, specifically fungi, with mammalian liver enzyme systems.66 The following metabolism study represents the first for a cembranoid diterpene and may aid future development of other cembranoids as clinically useful drugs. 

Moussa C et al. (1997) Microbial models of mammalian metabolism. Fungal metabolism of phenolic and nonphenolic p-cymene-related drugs and prodrugs. 11. Metabolites of nonphenolic derivatives. Drug Metab Dispos 25(3) 311-316... 

In the 1970s, Smith and Rosazza introduced the concept of microbial models of mammalian metabolism [38,39]. Two reviews in this area were published in 1999 [40,41]. Since these, there have been numerous reports describing the use of microbial biotransformation in drug metabolism studies [42-54]. These reports demonstrated that microbial enzymes were able to... 

Rao, G.P. and Davis, P.J. (1997) Microbial models of mammalian metabolism biotransformation of HP 749 (besipirdine) using Cunninghamella elegans. Drug Metabolism and Disposition The Biological Fate of Chemicals, 25, 709-715. 

Hezari, M., Davies, P.J. Microbial models of mammalian metabolism. Furosemide glucoside formation using the fungus Cunninghamella elegans. Drug Metab. Disp. 1993, 21 259-267. 

The use of microbial systems as in vitro models for drug metabolism in humans has been proposed, as there are many similarities between certain microbial enzyme systems and mammalian liver enzyme systems. The major advantages of using microorganisms are their ability to produce significant quantities of metabolites that would otherwise be difficult to obtain from animal systems or by chemical synthesis, and the considerable reduction in operating costs compared with animal studies. 

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