Definition

Noun: 1. An immunosuppressive drug: A pharmaceutical substance that reduces the activity or efficacy of the body's immune system. Azathioprine is specifically used to prevent the immune system from attacking and rejecting a transplanted organ, such as a kidney or heart. It is also used to treat certain autoimmune diseases.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient was prescribed azathioprine to protect his new kidney.
  • After the transplant, a regimen including azathioprine is standard.
  • Azathioprine suppresses the immune response.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Context: The term is primarily used in medical, pharmaceutical, and patient-care contexts. It is not typically used in everyday conversation.
• Administration: It is almost always discussed in terms of being , , , or .

Variants and Related Words

• Imuran: The common trade name for azathioprine.
  • The doctor switched her prescription from generic azathioprine to Imuran.

Synonyms

• Immunosuppressant / Immunosuppressive drug: The general category of drugs to which azathioprine belongs.
• (Trade name) Imuran: The brand-name equivalent.

Notes on Meaning

This word has a single, highly specific meaning in pharmacology and transplant medicine. It does not have idiomatic uses, phrasal verbs, or significant variations in meaning.

Noun

1. an immunosuppressive drug (trade name Imuran) used to prevent rejection of a transplanted organ