Is cytarabine an antimetabolite?
Correspondingly, what class of drug is cytarabine?
Cytarabine is in a class of medications called antimetabolites. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in your body.
Besides, what is an antimetabolite drug?
Antimetabolites are drugs that interfere with one or more enzymes or their reactions that are necessary for DNA synthesis. They affect DNA synthesis by acting as a substitute to the actual metabolites that would be used in the normal metabolism (for example antifolates interfere with the use of folic acid).
Cytosine arabinoside combines a cytosine base with an arabinose sugar. Cytosine arabinoside also inhibits both DNA and RNA polymerases and nucleotide reductase enzymes needed for DNA synthesis. Cytarabine is the first of a series of cancer drugs that altered the sugar component of nucleosides.