Translations:Folate/22/en

Anti-folate chemotherapy

Folate is important for cells and tissues that divide rapidly. Cancer cells divide rapidly, and drugs that interfere with folate metabolism are used to treat cancer. The antifolate drug methotrexate is often used to treat cancer because it inhibits the production of the active tetrahydrofolate (THF) from the inactive dihydrofolate (DHF). However, methotrexate can be toxic, producing side effects such as inflammation in the digestive tract that make eating normally more difficult. Bone marrow depression (inducing leukopenia and thrombocytopenia) and acute kidney and liver failure have been reported.