immunosuppressant

noun

im·​mu·​no·​sup·​pres·​sant ˌi-myə-nō-sə-ˈpre-sᵊnt 

i-ˌmyü-nō-

plural immunosuppressants

: an agent (such as a drug) that suppresses the immune response

The drug was a strong immunosuppressant and was lowering the rats' T-cell counts, making them more vulnerable to infections.

—Chip Brown

… a highly specific immunosuppressant that prevents patients from rejecting transplanted tissue.

—Barry Werth

immunosuppressant adjective

immunosuppressant drugs

Examples of immunosuppressant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ashwagandha may interact with medications that lower blood pressure and blood sugar, sedatives, immunosuppressants, hepatotoxic drugs, and thyroid hormone medications. —Kirstyn Hill, Pharmd, Mph, Health, 1 Jan. 2025

Kennedy has suggested that AIDS may be caused by environmental toxins and an inhaled drug and immunosuppressant known as poppers. —Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2025

Most people who receive a kidney transplant take immunosuppressants for the rest of their life. —Maria Sole Campinoti, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024

Some of the others still had mild symptoms, but every patient stopped immunosuppressants without disease rebounding. —Byjennifer Couzin-Frankel, science.org, 14 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

immuno- + suppressant, after immunosuppression

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

immunosuppressant

1 of 2 noun

im·​mu·​no·​sup·​pres·​sant -sə-ˈpres-ᵊnt 

: an agent (such as a drug) that suppresses the immune response

The experiments focused on the use of cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant widely used in human kidney, heart-lung, bone marrow, pancreas and liver transplants.

—Science News

immunosuppressant

2 of 2 adjective

: immunosuppressive

immunosuppressant effects