Enzymology of xenobiotic metabolism

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Foreign chemicals, such as pollutants, drugs, and other toxicants, are metabolized (i.e., chemically modified, prior to elimination) in the human body. This process of metabolism, catalyzed by enzymes in the liver and other organs, is the main determinant of the rate at which a drug is eliminated from the body; this, in turn, influences the effectiveness and toxicity of the drug. . Rates of drug metabolism vary widely among individuals, and genetic factors are an important source of this variation, which can have major effects on response to drug therapy. When treated with standard doses, "poor metabolizers" may be at risk of overdose toxicity while "ultrarapid metabolizers" fail to receive therapeutic benefit. With some drugs, metabolism may generate an active agent, and so the opposite scenario applies: ultrarapid metabolizers risk overdose.