asparaginase

American

[uh-spar-uh-juh-nays, -nayz] / əˈspær ə dʒəˌneɪs, -ˌneɪz /

noun

Biochemistry, Pharmacology.

an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of asparagine to aspartic acid and ammonia, used in the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Etymology

Origin of asparaginase

First recorded in 1960–65; asparagine + -ase

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

asparaginase

The protein is also downstream of mTOR, the protein targeted by asparaginase.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 8, 2024

"Ideally, we aim for venetoclax to potentiate the anti-leukemia properties of asparaginase while keeping its toxicity levels in check. These concepts warrant further investigation in future clinical trials."

From Science Daily ● Apr. 8, 2024

The largest hurdle was understanding how venetoclax works with asparaginase to stop B-cell leukemia.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 8, 2024

But it has the enormous ad vantage that whereas other anticancer drugs may damage normal cells as well as cancer cells, asparaginase is highly selective.

From Time Magazine Archive

A man who had several melanoma deposits under his skin was given asparaginase for three weeks; now, four months later, he appears free of this virulent disease.

From Time Magazine Archive

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023