Marcelo Derbli Schafranski, Alexandre Bueno Merlini, Ewelyn Adriane Chaves de Araújo, Natasha Lure Bueno de Camargo and Polliane Arruda
Department of Internal Medicine, Ponta Grossa State University, Ponta Grossa, State of Paraná, Brazil

Series: Pharmacology – Research, Safety Testing and Regulation
BISAC: MED071000

Methotrexate (MTX) is an antimetabolic agent that affects the metabolism of folic acid. The drug entered clinical medicine as an innovative antineoplastic drug in 1948, after the detection of its indirect effects on DNA synthesis. Although by a different mechanism, it resembled corticosteroid drugs by acting on the proliferation of connective tissue. The drug has thus been used in the treatment of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Since then, studies have been carried out on the effectiveness, toxicity, doses and other features of methotrexate. It has also been compared more recently with different rheumatic drugs, such as corticosteroids and new immunosuppressive drugs, such as inhibitors of specific molecular components of inflammation. (Imprint: Nova)