calcineurin inhibitor + methotrexate

A combination immunosuppressive therapy consisting of a calcineurin inhibitor (such as tacrolimus or cyclosporine) and methotrexate. This combination originated in preclinical canine studies from the early 1980s and 1990s and has been in clinical use for more than a quarter century. It is primarily used for the prevention of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The combination works by suppressing T-cell activation and proliferation through different mechanisms, with calcineurin inhibitors blocking the calcineurin protein involved in T-cell activation, while methotrexate inhibits DNA synthesis and cell division.

Other names

CNI + MTX