CHEM 121 glossary
Drug target
The biological molecule, usually a protein such as an enzyme or receptor, that a drug binds to in order to block or trigger its activity. Binding depends on the drug's shape fitting the binding site and on intermolecular forces between them.
Example
Aspirin and ibuprofen both relieve pain by blocking cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, which make the signalling molecules that cause pain and inflammation.