Carbonic Anhydrase I

Although carbonic anhydrase I (CA I) is one of the first CA isoforms discovered, its physiological and pathological functions are still poorly understood. Moreover, its role as a putative pharmacological target has not been validated yet. However, recent evidences highlighted that expression of CA I is involved in several diseases, and therefore the development of selective CA I modulators is expected. Structural and biological data are now available for this isozyme, and this information can be useful in the drug discovery process. To date, a plethora of potent CA inhibitors/activators have been identified, but only a few of them have demonstrated to be specific ligands of the CA I isoform. This chapter focuses on the structure and functions of CA I, with particular emphasis on its potential as a suitable drug target.