immunotherapy

noun

im·mu·no·ther·a·py | \ ˌi-myə-nō-ˈther-ə-pē

, i-ˌmyü-nō- \

Definition of immunotherapy

: treatment or prevention of disease (such as an autoimmune disorder, allergy, or cancer) that involves the stimulation, enhancement, suppression, or desensitization of the immune system — see adoptive immunotherapy

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Examples of immunotherapy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In addition to the surgery and chemo, Powers underwent a stem cell transplant and immunotherapy. — BostonGlobe.com, 19 May 2021 Digital data related to Nobel Prize-winning inventions for gene editing and cancer immunotherapy will be sold connected to non-fungible tokens next week, a novel way for the University of California at Berkeley to raise money for research. — Susan Decker, Fortune, 28 May 2021 The timing of the meetings is curious, given that more than one year has passed since Cel-Sci completed a Phase 3 clinical trial of its cancer immunotherapy Multikine. — Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 19 May 2021 Chakrabarti spoke with Lexington biotech Agenus, which agreed to try to make the first personalized immunotherapy vaccine for DIPG. — BostonGlobe.com, 8 May 2021 Combining radiotherapy with immunotherapy in novel ways can enhance results, by improving the immune system’s cancer recognition and rendering tumors less immunosuppressive. — David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2021 Maybe there’ll be a fifth or sixth thing, but there’ll be at least those four and immunotherapy will be critically important. — Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 9 May 2021 That includes people receiving immunotherapy for cancer or taking immunosuppressant drugs to keep their bodies from rejecting transplanted organs. — BostonGlobe.com, 30 Apr. 2021 The trial is one of the first to use immunotherapy in earlier stages of cancer. — Anna Kuchment, Dallas News, 31 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'immunotherapy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for immunotherapy

borrowed from German Immunotherapie, from immuno- immuno- + Therapie therapy

Note: The German word was introduced by Paul ehrlich in the lecture "Chemotherapie von Infektionskrankheiten," published in Zeitschrift für ärtzliche Fortbildung, 6. Jahrgang, Nummer 23 (1. Dezember 1909), pp. 721-33.

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Last Updated

13 Jun 2021

Cite this Entry

“Immunotherapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immunotherapy. Accessed 17 Jun. 2021.

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More Definitions for immunotherapy

immunotherapy

noun

im·mu·no·ther·a·py | \ -ˈther-ə-pē

plural immunotherapies

Medical Definition of immunotherapy

: treatment or prevention of disease (such as a cancer, autoimmune disorder, or allergy) that involves the stimulation, enhancement, suppression, or desensitization of the immune system Demonstrating promise is immunotherapy, in which special medications are used to beef up the body's own cancer-fighting cells. — Harvard Health Letter, August 1997 If environmental control and pharmacotherapy fail to control symptoms, then allergen immunotherapy—also called hyposensitization or desensitization—may be considered. — Discover, March 1998

— called also immune therapy

— see adoptive immunotherapy

Other Words from immunotherapy

immunotherapeutic \ -ˌther-ə-ˈpyüt-ik

\ adjective

immunotherapeutic activity immunotherapeutic methods