1. A red antibiotic compound derived from Streptomyces bacteria, used as a chemotherapy drug to treat certain cancers, particularly leukemias and lymphomas.
Usage: medical/pharmaceutical; also called daunorubicin; technical term

Examples

• Daunomycin was one of the first anthracycline antibiotics used in cancer treatment.
• The oncologist prescribed daunomycin as part of the patient's chemotherapy regimen.
• Daunomycin works by intercalating into DNA and inhibiting cell division.
• Researchers studied the cardiotoxic effects of daunomycin in long-term cancer survivors.
• The drug daunomycin has been largely replaced by newer anthracyclines in many clinical settings.