Antifolates

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of compounds used to inhibit folate metabolism, essential in treating certain cancers and autoimmune diseases
2. Substances that interfere with folic acid utilization, commonly employed as therapeutic agents in oncology
3. Agents that block the action or formation of folate, playing a critical role in some medical treatments, particularly for malignancies

Etymology: Folate is the name for vitamin B9, and an antifolate is any substance that interferes with the body's use of it. The "anti-" comes from the Ancient Greek "anti", meaning "against" or "opposite to", so the word is simply a combination of that prefix with "folate", the English term for the vitamin. Because folate is needed for building DNA and dividing cells, blocking it slows the growth of rapidly multiplying cells, which is why these agents became useful in treating cancers. The plural "antifolates" is just the form used when referring to more than one such agent. The term is a plain technical coinage built from existing parts, so its history is short and transparent. It belongs to the vocabulary of pharmacology and biochemistry, where prefixes like "anti-" are routinely attached to the names of biological molecules to name the substances that oppose them.

Synonyms: folate antagonists, methotrexate, trimethoprim