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Meaning of anthracycline in English:

anthracycline

noun

Pharmacology

  • Any of a class of antineoplastic drugs whose molecules contain a tetracyclic nucleus related to anthraquinone and whose major action is to inhibit the uncoiling and coiling of DNA necessary for its transcription and replication.

    Examples of this class of drug include daunorubicin, doxorubicin.

Pronunciation

anthracycline

/ˌanθrəˈsʌɪkliːn/ /ˌanθrəˈsʌɪklɪn/

Origin

1960s. From anthra- + -cycline, after German Anthracyclin, so named with reference to the ring structure of the compounds.