Vinblastine

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A chemotherapy medication used to treat various types of cancer by inhibiting the division of cancer cells; a vinca alkaloid derived from the periwinkle plant that disrupts microtubule formation during cell mitosis; a drug administered intravenously to interfere with cellular processes involved in tumor growth
2. An antineoplastic agent that blocks cell division by preventing microtubule assembly in cancer cells; a plant-extracted compound utilized in oncology to combat malignancies such as lymphoma and leukemia; a therapeutic substance given to patients to reduce tumor proliferation by arresting mitotic spindle formation
3. A cancer-fighting medication that interferes with the microtubule structures necessary for cell replication; a natural vinca alkaloid applied in the treatment of various cancers through mitosis inhibition; a pharmaceutical drug administered to halt the progression of tumor cells by disrupting cytoskeletal organization during mitosis

Etymology: Vinblastine is a contraction of "vincaleucoblastine," a name built from pieces that describe its origin and action. The first part, "vinca," refers to the periwinkle plants (genus Vinca) from which the compound is extracted. "Leuco" comes from the Greek "leukos," meaning white, and reflects the white blood cell cancers the drug was developed to treat. "Blastine" points to the cell-forming, or blastic, activity the drug targets, since it interferes with cell division. The word therefore records a chemical story in its own spelling: a plant source, a target in the blood, and a mechanism that halts cells as they divide. Shortening the long name to "vinblastine" kept the plant and cell references while making the term easier to say and write.

Synonyms: anticancer drug, chemotherapy agent, vinca alkaloid, antimitotic agent, chemotherapeutic