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antimetabolite
[an-tee-muh-tab-uh-lahyt, an-tahy-]
noun
Biochemistry.any substance that interferes with growth of an organism by competing with or substituting for an essential nutrient in an enzymatic process.
adjective
Pharmacology.of or relating to certain substances used to prevent or reduce the proliferation of cells, especially cancer cells, by interfering with normal metabolic activity.
antimetabolite
/ ˌæԳɪɪˈæəˌɪ /
noun
any drug that acts by disrupting the normal growth of a cell. Sulfonamide drugs are antimetabolites and some antimetabolites are used in cancer treatment
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of antimetabolite1
Example Sentences
Targeting one carbon metabolism with an antimetabolite disrupts pyrimidine homeostasis and induces nucleotide overflow.
Fluorouracil is a type of drug known as an antimetabolite, which works by killing fast-growing cancer cells.
Canavanine, it turns out, is an antimetabolite stored in the seeds of many leguminous species to ward off predators, and its toxicity in animals is well documented in scientific literature.
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