CultureAugust 10, 2026

doxorubicin

dok-suh-ROO-buh-sin

Definition

A chemotherapy medication used to treat various types of cancer, mentioned in the context of its side effects on heart health.

Etymology

The name is a portmanteau derived from the chemical structure's components: 'doxy-' (referring to a deoxy sugar) and 'rubicin' (derived from the Latin 'ruber', meaning red, describing the drug's color).

In the news

The word appears in a list of popular news headlines regarding research into how a specific type of stress can help mitigate the heart damage often caused by this drug during cancer treatment.

Impact-Resistant Autonomous Robots Inspired by Tensegrity Architecture

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Bioengineer.org

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