Final answer:
The process when a drug alters an enzyme's action through inhibition or enhancement is referred to as enzyme modulation, which is key to drug development. Competitive and allosteric inhibition are two methods by which drugs can affect enzyme function. Drug candidates follow a stringent testing process before obtaining FDA approval.
Step-by-step explanation:
Drug Development and Enzyme Inhibition
The process in question is known as enzyme modulation, which typically involves either inhibition or enhancement of an enzyme's action. This modulation is a critical aspect of drug development, in which researchers, including chemists and biologists, design molecules that can influence a target molecule's typical response. One common form of inhibition is competitive inhibition, where an inhibitor binds to the active site of an enzyme, preventing the substrate from binding.
Another form of inhibitory interaction is allosteric inhibition, where a molecule binds to a site other than the active site of the enzyme, inducing a conformational change that affects the enzyme's ability to bind the substrate. The goal of drug development is to create molecules that can selectively block or activate enzymes within specific pathways, particularly those pathways which are altered in disease states. After the initial design, these drug candidates must undergo rigorous testing, from in vitro studies to clinical trials, before they can receive FDA approval for market release.