Mammalian carboxylesterase enzymes are a highly conserved metabolic pathway involved in the metabolism of endogenous and exogenous compounds including many widely prescribed therapeutic agents. Recent advances in our understanding of genetic polymorphisms affecting enzyme activity have exposed potential therapeutic implications. Areas covered: The aims of this review are to provide an overview of carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) and carboxylesterase 2 (CES2) gene structure, to summarize the known polymorphism affecting substrate-drug metabolism, and to assess the potential therapeutic implications of genetic variations affecting enzyme function. Expert opinion: Genetic variability in carboxylesterase drug metabolism is a nascent area of research with only a handful of the thousands of SNPs investigated for their potential effects of enzyme activity or carboxylesterase-substrate disposition and therapeutics. It remains to be determined if the wide variability in enzyme activity can be explained by genetic variation, and used in personalized medicine to improve clinical outcomes.
Keywords: CES1; CES2; Carboxylesterase; drug metabolism; pharmacogenetics; single-nucleotide polymorphism.