HealthSeptember 6, 2026

methotrexate

meth-uh-TREK-sayt

Definition

A medication commonly used in chemotherapy and for certain autoimmune conditions that can have the side effect of potentially damaging kidney tissue.

Etymology

The name is a portmanteau derived from 'methyl,' 'aminopterin' (a related drug), and the suffix '-ate,' reflecting its chemical structure as a folate antagonist.

In the news

In this article, methotrexate is identified as a specific chemotherapy drug that can cause kidney injury, emphasizing why monitoring kidney health is crucial during cancer treatment.

8 golden rules for kidney health

Read the full article ↗

SunStar Publishing Inc.

Related words

Learn words like this every day

Meet new words every morning.

Newspoken pulls carefully chosen words from the day’s news — with clear definitions, context, and light review that makes them stick. Get it on your phone.