What does cyclosporin mean?
Cyclosporin is a powerful immunosuppressive medication that transformed modern medicine when it entered widespread clinical use in the 1980s. Originally isolated from a fungus found in soil samples, it works by dampening the activity of T-lymphocytes — the immune cells that would otherwise attack transplanted organs as foreign tissue. This action made long-term organ transplantation far more feasible, dramatically improving survival rates for recipients of kidneys, livers, hearts, and other organs. Cyclosporin is also prescribed for certain autoimmune conditions such as severe psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and some forms of inflammatory eye disease. Because suppressing the immune system carries real risks — including increased susceptibility to infection and potential kidney damage — patients taking the drug require regular blood monitoring of drug levels and organ function. The name appears in several variants: 'cyclosporine' in American pharmacology, 'ciclosporin' as the international nonproprietary name, and 'cyclosporin' as a common earlier form. It remains a cornerstone of transplant medicine today.
nounCyclosporin (also spelled cyclosporine) is an immunosuppressive drug derived from a soil fungus, used chiefly to prevent organ-transplant rejection and to treat certain autoimmune diseases. It works by suppressing the activity of T-lymphocytes in the immune system.
- An immunosuppressive drug used to prevent organ-transplant rejection and treat autoimmune conditions.
"After the kidney transplant, she was placed on cyclosporin to keep her body from rejecting the new organ."
"The patient's cyclosporin levels were monitored closely during the first weeks after the liver transplant."
"In severe psoriasis, low-dose cyclosporin can bring rapid relief, though long-term use requires careful kidney monitoring."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cyclosporin
Cyclosporin was discovered in 1971 by researchers at Sandoz (now Novartis) from a fungus identified in soil samples collected in Norway, and it entered clinical use around the early 1980s. Its name combines 'cyclo', referring to its cyclic peptide structure, with elements evoking its fungal origin. The drug is unrelated to classical Latin or Greek word roots; it is a modern pharmaceutical coinage.
How cyclosporin is actually used
A technical medical term, encountered mainly in clinical, pharmaceutical, and patient-information contexts rather than everyday conversation. Spelling varies by region and authority: 'cyclosporine' is standard in the United States, 'ciclosporin' is the international nonproprietary name, and 'cyclosporin' is an older variant still seen in British usage.
Easily confused with cyclosporin
Both names refer to the same drug; 'cyclosporine' is the spelling adopted in US pharmacopoeias, while 'ciclosporin' is the INN used internationally.