- Immunosuppressant
An immunosuppressant is a substance that performs
immunosuppression of theimmune system . They may either be exogenous. asimmunosuppressive drug s, or endogenous, as e.g.testosterone . [cite journal | last = Fimmel | fist = S | coauthors = Zouboulis CC |year=2005 |title=Influence of physiological androgen levels on wound healing and immune status in men |journal=Aging Male |volume=8 |pages=166–174 |pmid=16390741 |doi=10.1080/13685530500233847]After
organ transplantation , the body will nearly always reject the new organ(s) due to differences inhuman leukocyte antigen haplotype s between the donor and recipient. As a result, the immune system detects the new tissue as "hostile", and attempts to remove it by attacking it with recipientleukocytes , resulting in the death of the tissue.Immunosuppressants are applied as a countermeasure; the side effect is that the body becomes extremely vulnerable to infections and malignancy, much like in an advanced
HIV infection.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
immunosuppressant — An agent that induces immunosuppression ( e.g., cyclosporine, corticosteroids). SYN: immunodepressant, immunodepressor, immunosuppressive (2). * * * im·mu·no·sup·pres·sant sə pres ənt n a chemical agent (as a drug) that suppresses the immune… … Medical dictionary
immunosuppressant — n. a drug, such as azathioprine or cyclophosphamide, that reduces the body s resistance to infection and other foreign bodies by suppressing the immune system. Immunosuppressants are used to maintain the survival of organ and tissue transplants… … The new mediacal dictionary
immunosuppressant — An agent that acts to suppress the body s natural immune response. This is totally understandable in tissue and organ transplants, and in some dangerous inflammatory conditions, but nearly all anti inflammatory medications are… … Herbal-medical glossary
immunosuppressant — noun or adjective see immunosuppression … New Collegiate Dictionary
immunosuppressant — See immunosuppression. * * * … Universalium
immunosuppressant — 1. adjective Capable of immunosuppression, immunosuppressive. 2. noun An immunosuppressive agent. Syn: immunosuppressive, immunosuppressor … Wiktionary
immunosuppressant — im·mu·no·suppressant … English syllables
immunosuppressant — See: immunosuppression … English dictionary
immunosuppressant — /ˌɪmjunoʊsəˈprɛsənt/ (say .imyoohnohsuh presuhnt) adjective 1. suppressing the immune system. –noun 2. anything which acts to suppress the immune system. Also, immunosuppressive … Australian English dictionary
immunosuppressant — noun a drug that lowers the body s normal immune response • Syn: ↑immunosuppressor, ↑immunosuppressive drug, ↑immunosuppressive, ↑immune suppressant drug • Hypernyms: ↑medicine, ↑medication, ↑medicament … Useful english dictionary