immunosuppression

American  

[im-yuh-noh-suh-presh-uhn, ih-myoo-] / ˌɪm yə noʊ səˈprɛʃ ən, ɪˌmyu- /

noun

Pathology.

1. the inhibition of the normal immune response because of disease, the administration of drugs, or surgery.

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immunosuppression British  

/ ˌɪmjʊnəʊsəˈprɛʃən /

noun

1. medical suppression of the body's immune system, esp in order to reduce the likelihood of rejection of a transplanted organ

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immunosuppression Scientific  

/ ĭm′yə-nō-sə-prĕsh′ən,ĭ-myo̅o̅′- /

1. Suppression of the body's immune response, as by drugs or radiation, in order to prevent the rejection of grafts or transplants or to treat autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus.

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Other Word Forms

• immunosuppressed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of immunosuppression

First recorded in 1960–65; immuno- + suppression

Example Sentences

Ms Bolton said she also had to use more energy to heat her home to keep Oliver warm, because of his immunosuppression treatment.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2025

"These results give us new insights into how we might further engineer pig organs for transplant, or tailor immunosuppression treatments to improve tolerance of a foreign organ."

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

And that's important because of how telomere lengths affect human health: "When telomeres get to be too short, you have age-related degenerative diseases like pulmonary fibrosis, bone-marrow failure, and immunosuppression," Greider said.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2024

In 2014, she was diagnosed with a genetic condition—so rare that it has no name—that caused immunosuppression, bouts of volatile blood pressure, and peripheral vision loss.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 4, 2023

There were a few more xenotransplants in the 1990s, but it became clear that better immunosuppression alone would not solve the problem.

From Scientific American • Oct. 19, 2023