MTX
DRUG - SCI & TECH
News:
New highly fluorescent
material brings non-enzymatic approach for detection of anticancer drug
Methotrexate known for toxicity at high dosage
What's
in the news?
●
Scientists of Institute of Advanced Study
in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute of Department of
Science and Technology (DST) have developed a highly fluorescent material that
can be used as a visual sensing platform for detecting the anti-cancer drug
Methotrexate (MTX).
Methotrexate
(MTX):
●
Methotrexate belongs to a class of drugs
known as antimetabolite.
●
It is used to treat various medical
conditions, primarily cancers,
autoimmune diseases, and certain inflammatory conditions.
●
The MTX overdose in blood plasma is
hazardous if it remains in the system for more than 10 hours, resulting in
poisoning effects on the lungs, ulcers of the stomach and heart stroke.
New
highly fluorescent material for detection of MTX:
●
This highly fluorescent material has been
developed using phosphorene, cystine and
gold (Ph-Cys-Au).
●
It has exceptional optical properties and thus can be used as a visual
sensing platform for detecting the anti-cancer drug MTX overdose.
Significance
of the discovery:
●
The materials are biocompatible with a
good detection limit.
●
Traditional procedures for detecting
overdosage of MTX are relatively more time consuming and involve complex
instrumentation.
●
The nanocomposite exhibited in vitro
cytotoxicity (quality of a substance to be toxic to cells in an artificial,
controlled environment outside of a living organism) towards cancerous cells,
but it was non-cytotoxic for non-cancerous cells.