What does cyclosporine mean?
Cyclosporine is a powerful immunosuppressant medication that revolutionised organ transplantation after its introduction in the early 1980s. Originally isolated from a soil fungus, it works by dampening the immune system's T-cell activity, preventing the body from attacking a transplanted kidney, heart, or liver as though it were an invader. It is also prescribed for certain autoimmune conditions, including severe psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Because suppressing immunity carries real risks—kidney damage, high blood pressure, and increased vulnerability to infection—patients taking cyclosporine need careful monitoring of blood levels and organ function. The word itself is a coinage blending the Greek roots for 'cycle' and 'spore', reflecting the molecule's ring structure and fungal origin. In everyday conversation it appears mainly among patients, clinicians, and pharmacists, and its spelling varies by region: 'ciclosporin' in Britain, 'cyclosporine' in the United States.
nounAn immunosuppressive drug derived from a soil fungus, used chiefly to prevent organ-transplant rejection and to treat certain autoimmune conditions such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
- An immunosuppressive cyclic peptide produced by the fungus Tolypocladium inflatum, used clinically to prevent transplant rejection and treat autoimmune disorders.
"After the liver transplant, she took cyclosporine daily for the rest of her life to keep her body from rejecting the new organ."
"Patients on long-term cyclosporine require regular blood tests because the drug can raise blood pressure and impair kidney function."
"The discovery of cyclosporine in the late 1970s transformed organ transplantation from a risky experiment into standard medical practice."
The drug that made modern organ transplants routine was discovered in a soil sample collected by Swiss scientists on a Norwegian mountain holiday.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cyclosporine
Cyclosporine was first isolated in the early 1970s by researchers at Sandoz Laboratories in Switzerland from the soil fungus Tolypocladium inflatum, found in a sample collected in Norway. Its name was coined from the Greek 'kyklos' (circle), referring to the molecule's cyclic structure, combined with '-spor-', denoting its fungal spore origin. The immunosuppressive properties that made it medically transformative were identified later in the decade, leading to clinical approval around 1983.
How cyclosporine is actually used
A technical pharmaceutical term used almost exclusively in medical and scientific contexts; it is not part of everyday speech. The spelling 'ciclosporin' is standard in Britain and much of Europe, while 'cyclosporine' predominates in North America; both refer to the identical compound.
Easily confused with cyclosporine
Cycloserine is an antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis, whereas cyclosporine is an immunosuppressant used in transplantation and autoimmune disease.