P450 INHIBITORS OF USE IN MEDICAL-TREATMENT - FOCUS ON MECHANISMS OF ACTION

A number of cytochrome P450s are targets for compounds that are clinic ally used or under clinical evaluation for treatment of patients with mycotic infections, such as dermatophytosis, superficial and systemic candidiasis, cryptococcosis and aspergillosis, with skin diseases, suc h as psoriasis or ichthyosis, and other retinoid-sensitive malignancie s, e.g., neuro-ectodermal glioma. Some of the P450 inhibitors are cand idates for the treatment of hirsutism or prostate cancer, others are p otent inhibitors of the P450 isomerase involved in the synthesis of th romboxane A(2), a potent platelet aggregation inducer and vasoconstric tor.