Where Does Cyclosporin Come From?
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Cyclosporin is a drug that is used to suppress the immune system. The medication is usually given to patients following transplant surgery to help prevent rejection. Cyclosporin is also called ciclosporin or cyclosporine, and it is derived from a fungus.
History
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Cyclosporin was first extracted from the fungus Tolypocladium inflatum Gams in 1970. Also called by the fungal name Beauveria nivea, Jean Borel and other scientists working at Sandoz (now called Novartis) in Basel, Switzerland discovered the immunosuppressive properties of cyclosporine in soil samples from the United States and Norway.
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Function
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Unlike other immunosupressants at the time of its discovery, cyclosporin selectively suppressed T cells. Part of the lymphocytes of white blood cells, T cells create the body's immune reaction to certain pathogens.
Cyclosporin is a fungal peptide. A peptide is an organic compound made up of amino acids and linked together chemically by peptide bonds. Cyclopsorin is an eleven amino acid protein and is produced by the microorganism in the fungi.
Uses
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Cyclosporin has been researched for transplants of skin, heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, bone marrow, and small intestine. This type of immunosuppresant is also used in skin disorders such as psoriasis, in rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and alopecia (nonuniform hair loss). Cyclosporin is also prescribed in the United States as an ophthalmic ointment for dry eyes.
Other Names for Cyclosporin
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Cyclosporin is sold under the names Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune, Sandoz Cyclosporine and Restasis.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Cyclosporin fungi courtesy T.Vulk
