cachectin

noun

ca·​chec·​tin kə-ˈkek-tən, ka- How to pronounce cachectin (audio)
: tumor necrosis factor
In 1985 a New York research group identified a protein, which they called cachectin, that causes emaciation in many patients with chronic infections or cancer. Shortly afterward, another group realized that cachectin was identical to tumor necrosis factor, a cancer-fighting substance manufactured by the cells of the immune system.Gordon Bakoulis Bloch, Discover

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Cite this Entry

“Cachectin.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/cachectin. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

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