Methotrexate (MTX)

About Methotrexate

• It is a widely used anti-cancer drug.
• The MTX value of more than 10 µM 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.
• MTX is highly expensive, and the detection of unwanted overdoses using traditional procedures is time-consuming and involves complex instrumentation.

What is Cancer?

• It is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. 
• Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells.
• Risk factors: Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and air pollution are risk factors for cancer and other noncommunicable diseases.

Q1) What is blood Plasma?

It is the liquid portion of blood. Plasma serves as a transport medium for delivering nutrients to the cells of the various organs of the body and for transporting waste products derived from cellular metabolism to the kidneys, liver, and lungs for excretion. 

Source: New highly fluorescent material brings non-enzymatic approach for detection of anticancer drug Methotrexate known for toxicity at high dosage