It is effective for the treatment of a number of cancers, including breast, head and neck, leukemia, lymphoma, lung, osteosarcoma, bladder, and trophoblastic neoplasms. Autoimmune disorders
It is used as a disease-modifying treatment for some autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile dermatomyositis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, sarcoidosis, Crohns disease, eczema and many forms of vasculitis. Although originally designed as a chemotherapy drug (using high doses), in low doses methotrexate is a generally safe and well-tolerated drug in the treatment of certain autoimmune diseases. Because of its effectiveness, low-dose methotrexate is first-line therapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Weekly doses are beneficial for 12 to 52 weeks duration therapy, although discontinuation rates are as high as 16% due to adverse effects. Although methotrexate for autoimmune diseases is taken in lower doses than it is for cancer, side effects such as hair loss, nausea, headaches, and skin pigmentation are still common. Use of low doses of methotrexate together with NSAIDs such as aspirin or analgesics such as paracetamol is relatively safe in people being treated for rheumatoid arthritis, if adequate monitoring is done.Studies and reviews have found that most rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with methotrexate for up to one year had less pain, functioned better, had fewer swollen and tender joints, and had less disease activity overall as reported by themselves and their doctors. X-rays also showed that the progress of the disease slowed or stopped in many people receiving methotrexate, with the progression being completely halted in about 30% of those receiving the drug.
is responsible for production of) the retinoblastoma protein that functions as a tumor suppressor protein; 2) deletions and/or mutations in the TP53 gene that encodes tumor protein P53 (a protein which regulates cell proliferation and cell death); 3) mutations in the ATRX gene that encodes transcriptional regulator ATRX protein which contributes to regulating the expression of various genes; 4) mutations in the KMT2C gene which encodes lysine N-methyltransferase 2C protein (the KMT2C gene is mutated in various cancer types); 5) amplification of the IL7R gene which encodes Interleukin-7 receptor-α protein (mutations in the IL7R gene are commonly found in acute lymphoblastic leukemia) and 6) expression of a fusion gene (i.e. a hybrid gene formed from two previously independent genes as a result of a mutation) that merges TRIO with other genes and is often found in other sarcoma subtypes.) Diagnosis
The diagnosis of UPS depends on finding non-specific, undifferentiated tumor cells that have features suggestive of UPS and not features of other tumor types that also consist of pleomorphic, undifferentiated cells. The features primarily involve the expression of certain proteins by the tumor cells. The identifying proteins for UPS tumor cells are given in the preceding section. Identification proteins for tumors that have been confused with UPS inlclude:
Pleomorphic leimyosarcoma: Desmin and h-caldesmon (i.e. high molecular form of caldesmon.) proteins
Pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma: Desmin and myogenin proteins. Defifferentiated liposarcoma: MDM2 and CDK4 proteins. Poorly differentiated carcinoma (i.e.