1. A synthetic purine derivative used as an immunosuppressant and anticancer drug, especially in the treatment of leukemia and inflammatory bowel disease.
Usage: medical/pharmaceutical; often abbreviated as 6-MP; also known as 6-mercaptopurine

Examples

• Mercaptopurine is commonly prescribed to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children.
• The patient's leukemia went into remission after starting mercaptopurine therapy.
• Mercaptopurine can be used as a maintenance drug for certain types of cancer.
• Some patients with Crohn's disease benefit from mercaptopurine as an immunosuppressant.
• The oncologist explained that mercaptopurine works by interfering with purine metabolism in cancer cells.