cachectin: Meaning and Definition of

ca•chec•tin

Pronunciation: (ku-kek'tin), [key]
— n.
  1. a protein that is released by activated macrophages as an immune system defense and, when the defense is overwhelmed, is a cause of cachexia or toxic shock: in humans, identical with tumor necrosis factor.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.