New horizons of methotrexate application

  • Vladimir Maksimovic Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Svetlana Golocorbin-Kon Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Momir Mikov Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Jelena Cvejic Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Zora Pavlovic Popovic Institute of Pulmonary Diseases, Sremska Kamenica Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia Corresponding author:
  • Sasa Vukmirovic Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia

Abstract


Methotrexate is an anti-inflammatory and anticancer drug that has been used in the treatment of various oncological and inflammatory diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, sarcoidosis, etc.). Scientists are working on finding optimal formulation that will maintain its efficacy and improve safety and nanoparticles have shown to be carriers with great potential as they protect the drug from degradation while at the same time they increase absorption. In vivo and in vitro studies of numerous nanoparticle preparations have showed that they generally have appropriate characteristics and can be carriers for targeted delivery of methotrexate to the tissues affected by disease. Topical preparations of methotrexate, mainly for the treatment of psoriasis, have also been assessed in various research and have showed promising results. Further research is warranted by the obtained results and will hopefully lead to new methotrexate formulations that will be approved by regulatory authorities and used instead of existing ones to improve efficacy of the drug and patients’ safety.

Author Biographies

Vladimir Maksimovic, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
PhD student
Svetlana Golocorbin-Kon, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
Professor
Momir Mikov, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
Full Professor
Jelena Cvejic, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
Full Professor
Zora Pavlovic Popovic, Institute of Pulmonary Diseases, Sremska Kamenica Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia Corresponding author:
Physician, Professor
Sasa Vukmirovic, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
Professor

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Published
2020/12/31
Section
Review Paper