1. Plural of mercaptopurine; a class of purine analogs used as immunosuppressive and anticancer drugs, particularly in treating leukemia and autoimmune diseases.
Usage: medical/pharmaceutical term; often abbreviated as 6-MP or 6-mercaptopurine in singular form; used in clinical and research contexts

Examples

• Mercaptopurines are commonly prescribed to maintain remission in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients.
• The research team studied the efficacy of mercaptopurines in reducing inflammatory responses.
• Mercaptopurines work by interfering with nucleic acid synthesis in rapidly dividing cells.
• Patients receiving mercaptopurines require regular blood tests to monitor for adverse effects.
• The development of mercaptopurines represented a major breakthrough in cancer chemotherapy.