Quinacrine

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A synthetic compound used primarily as an antimalarial drug; it also serves as a treatment for certain parasitic infections and has applications in diagnostic staining techniques
2. A man-made pharmaceutical agent utilized in combating malaria and some protozoan diseases; additionally employed in medical diagnostics through its staining properties
3. A chemically engineered medication designed to treat malaria and other parasitic ailments; it is also applied in laboratory procedures for staining biological samples

Etymology: When the Japanese seized the Dutch East Indies, they cut off the main source of quinine, the traditional malaria treatment derived from cinchona bark. Allied forces turned to quinacrine, a synthetic substitute that Bayer chemists had developed in Germany as a relative of earlier dye-based drugs. It was widely used in the war, and its side effects included a yellowing of the skin, which made some patients look jaundiced. The name appears to blend "quinine" with "acridine," the chemical family of the core structure, though the exact origin of the coinage is uncertain. The drug's other uses came later. Because its molecule fluoresces under ultraviolet light and binds to DNA, it became a valuable stain in laboratories. Researchers used it to reveal distinct banding patterns on chromosomes.

Synonyms: mepacrine, atabrine