Antimetabolites

Trimethoprim (TMP) is an antibiotic used mainly in the treatment of bladder infections. Other uses include for middle ear infections and travellers' diarrhoea. With sulfamethoxazole or dapsone it may be used for Pneumocystis pneumonia in people with HIV/AIDS. It is taken orally (swallowed by mouth).

thumb|alt=2D chemical structural diagrams comparing folic acid and methotrexate|The drug methotrexate (bottom) is an antimetabolite that interferes with the metabolism of [[folic acid (top)]] An antimetabolite is a chemical that inhibits the use of a metabolite, which is another chemical that is part of normal metabolism. Such substances are often similar in structure to the metabolite that they interfere with, such as the antifolates that interfere with the use of folic acid; thus, competitive inhibition can occur, and the presence of antimetabolites can have toxic effects on cells, such as h

chemical compound

Ethionine is a non-proteinogenic amino acid structurally related to methionine, with an ethyl group in place of the methyl group.

Chemicals that inhibit the use of a metabolite

class of antymetabolites for cytostatic chemotherapy

Alanosine (also called SDX-102) is a substance that has been studied for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. It is an antimetabolite. It is used as one of a few experimental treatments for patients with deadly pancreatic cancer when the main chemotherapeutic treatment regimen of gemcitabine is no longer useful.

Group of substances