immunosuppress

American  

[im-yuh-noh-suh-pres, ih-myoo-] / ˌɪm yə noʊ səˈprɛs, ɪˌmyu- /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to suppress the normal immune response.

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Usage

What does immunosuppress mean? Immunosuppress is a verb that means to suppress or weaken the body’s immune system,  as in The surgeon immunosuppressed the patient so the body wouldn’t reject the transplanted kidney.The body’s immune system is a complex network that protects the body from foreign substances, destroys infections and harmful cells, and removes cellular debris, or the waste that’s left after a cell dies.Because the immune system is the body’s defense against illness, when it is suppressed, you’re more likely to get an infection. A doctor might immunosuppress a patient, though, when the patient is to get a donated organ, for example. By immunosuppressing the patient, the body is more likely to accept the new organ.Example: The doctor was faced with a tough decision about whether to immunosuppress the patient before the surgery.

Etymology

Origin of immunosuppress

1965–70; back formation from immunosuppression or immunosuppressive

Example Sentences

“They’re transplanted because they have a serious problem. Then you’re going to immunosuppress them. And if we have an effective way to minimize the risk of them getting a serious infection on top of that, it’s irresponsible to not take care of that — to not do that.”

From Washington Post

Both groups’ results suggest that the first wave of phages that attempt infection succumb to CRISPR–Cas defences but manage to deliver anti-CRISPR proteins that immunosuppress the bacterial cell.

From Nature

"We all thought we didn't have to immunosuppress her."

From Time Magazine Archive