mercaptopurine
noun
mer·cap·to·pu·rine
(ˌ)mər-ˌkap-tə-ˈpyu̇r-ˌēn 
: an antimetabolite C5H4N4S that interferes especially with the metabolism of purine bases and the biosynthesis of nucleic acids and that is sometimes used in the treatment of acute leukemia
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The next breakthrough, in 1950, was the development of 6-MP (mercaptopurine) by Gertrude Elion and George Hitchings, who would go on to receive the Nobel Prize.
—
Marie McCullough, https://www.inquirer.com, 6 June 2019
Using this targeted method, Elion helped develop such drugs as mercaptopurine, which changed childhood leukemia from a death-sentence to a condition that most survive.
—Ray Cavanaugh, Time, 23 Jan. 2018
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Marie McCullough, https://www.inquirer.com, 6 June 2019
Using this targeted method, Elion helped develop such drugs as mercaptopurine, which changed childhood leukemia from a death-sentence to a condition that most survive.
—Ray Cavanaugh, Time, 23 Jan. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Mercaptopurine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercaptopurine. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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mercaptopurine
noun
mer·cap·to·pu·rine
(ˌ)mər-ˌkap-tə-ˈpyu̇(ə)r-ˌēn
: an antimetabolite C5H4N4S that interferes especially with the metabolism of purine bases and the biosynthesis of nucleic acids and that is sometimes useful in the treatment of acute leukemia
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