Sprycel
Meaning of Sprycel: Sprycel is the brand name for dasatinib, a targeted drug used to treat certain leukemias driven by an abnormal fusion protein.
Definition of Sprycel
Sprycel is a brand name for dasatinib, a medication belonging to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor class, used mainly to treat chronic myeloid leukemia and a subset of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Both conditions can involve an abnormal fusion protein called BCR-ABL, formed when pieces of two different chromosomes join together abnormally and drive uncontrolled growth of certain white blood cells.
Sprycel works by binding to and blocking BCR-ABL, interrupting the abnormal signal that causes affected cells to multiply. Because tyrosine kinase inhibitors like Sprycel target this specific abnormal protein rather than acting broadly on all dividing cells, they are often described as a form of targeted therapy.
Sprycel is taken by mouth, and treatment is generally monitored with periodic blood testing to track how well the leukemia is responding and to watch for medication related side effects, since the drug can also affect normal blood cell counts.
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Used in a sentence
Sprycel was prescribed after the patient's leukemia was confirmed to carry the BCR-ABL abnormality.
Good to know
Sprycel targets the specific BCR-ABL abnormality found in certain leukemias rather than acting broadly against all cancer cells, which is why testing for this abnormality generally precedes its use.