folinic acid
Meaning of folinic acid: Folinic acid is a form of folate used to counteract the toxic effects of certain drugs that block folic acid activity in cells.
Definition of folinic acid
Folinic acid is a form of folate, related to folic acid, used in medicine mainly to counteract the toxic effects of drugs that interfere with folate activity in cells. Because certain chemotherapy drugs work by blocking the folate pathway that cells rely on to divide, folinic acid can be given to protect healthy cells from excessive damage while the chemotherapy continues to act on cancer cells.
Folinic acid is also combined with the chemotherapy drug fluorouracil in the treatment of certain cancers, including colorectal cancer, where it enhances the drug's effect rather than protecting against it, a use distinct from its role in reducing toxicity elsewhere.
Also known as leucovorin, folinic acid is administered under medical supervision rather than used as a general dietary supplement, since its clinical uses depend on the specific drug and treatment context involved.
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Used in a sentence
Folinic acid was given alongside the chemotherapy regimen to help protect healthy cells.
Good to know
Folinic acid can either reduce chemotherapy toxicity or enhance a chemotherapy drug's effect, depending on which drug it accompanies, so its role in a treatment regimen depends entirely on that context.