Autoserotherapy

/ɔːtəˌsɪrəˈθɛrəpi/ noun

Definition

A therapeutic treatment using a patient's own serum or blood serum that has been modified or processed.

Etymology

From 'auto-' (self), 'serum' (blood serum, from Latin meaning whey), and 'therapy' (healing). Historical medical term from early immunology.

Kelly Says

Before antibiotics, doctors tried autoserotherapy—collecting a patient's blood, treating it, and reinfusing it hoping the patient's own immune system would benefit. It was more hope than science, but showed early thinking about using the body's own defenses.

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