Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

trientine hydrochloride

The hydrochloride salt form of a metal chelating agent with potential anti-angiogenic activity. Trientine chelates excess copper (Cu) ions in the body; the excess copper is subsequently removed from the body through the kidneys. As Cu is an essential cofactor for cuproenzymes, such as superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), depletion of copper may inhibit the activation of signal transduction pathways required for cellular proliferation and angiogenesis. In addition, trientine may inhibit copper-induced secretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8).
Synonym:triethylenetetramine dihydrochloride
US brand name:spyrine
Abbreviation:TETA
trien
Chemical structure:N,N'-bis(2-aminoethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine
Search NCI's Drug Dictionary