Human health and medicine

Serpiginous choroiditis

Serpiginous choroiditis, also called geographic or helicoid peripapillary choroidopathy, is a rare chronic bilateral posterior uveitis of the choroid, RPE, and choriocapillaris, distinguished from tubercular multifocal serpiginoid choroiditis by imaging and TB testing.

Serplulimab

Serplulimab (HLX10; Hansizhuang, Hetronifly) is a humanized IgG4 anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody by Shanghai Henlius, first approved in China in 2022 for MSI-H solid tumors and known for the ASTRUM-005 ES-SCLC survival benefit.

Serrated polyposis syndrome

Serrated polyposis syndrome (SPS), formerly hyperplastic polyposis syndrome, is the most common GI polyposis syndrome, diagnosed by WHO 2019 clinical criteria, with elevated colorectal cancer risk managed by endoscopic surveillance.

Serratus anterior muscle

Serratus anterior (musculus serratus anterior), the fan-shaped "boxer's muscle" on the lateral thoracic wall; originates from ribs 1-8/9, inserts on the scapula, innervated by the long thoracic nerve (C5-C7), protracts and rotates the scapula; paralysis causes winged scapula.

Sep 29, 2026

Serratus plane block

The serratus plane block (SAPB) is an ultrasound-guided chest wall nerve block, first described in 2013, used for pain relief after breast, thoracic, and rib-fracture surgery.

Sertaconazole

Sertaconazole (Ertaczo) is a broad-spectrum imidazole antifungal used topically as 2% cream for tinea pedis and other superficial mycoses; it inhibits ergosterol synthesis and also damages fungal membranes, acting fungistatically and fungicidally.

Sertindole

Sertindole (Serdolect) is an atypical antipsychotic for schizophrenia, authorized in Europe in 1996, suspended in 1999 over cardiac death concerns, and reintroduced in 2002 with ECG monitoring; it blocks HERG channels and prolongs QTc about 20 ms.

Sertoli cell

Sertoli cell (nurse cell of the testis): somatic support cell of seminiferous tubules discovered by Enrico Sertoli in 1865; nourishes germ cells, forms the blood-testis barrier, secretes AMH, androgen-binding protein, and GDNF, and is the testis's most age-sensitive cell type.

Sertraline

Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral) is an SSRI antidepressant by Pfizer, US-approved for depression in 1991 and later OCD, panic disorder, and PTSD; Cochrane evidence shows a trend favoring it over other antidepressants.

Serum (blood)

Serum (blood): cell-free fluid left after blood clots and the clot is removed, lacking fibrinogen unlike plasma; prepared by 30–60 min clotting and 2000 × g centrifugation; basis of clinical chemistry testing and historic serum therapy.

Serum bactericidal assay

Serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) assay, also called hSBA or rSBA by complement source, is an in vitro test measuring antibody- and complement-mediated bacterial killing; the accepted correlate of protection for meningococcal vaccines, with hSBA titer 4 or rSBA titer 8 thresholds.

Serum Bactericidal Test

Serum Bactericidal Test (Schlichter test, SBT): broth dilution assay measuring the highest dilution of a patient's antibiotic-treated serum that kills over 99.9% of the infecting organism; used to monitor endocarditis and osteomyelitis therapy.

Serum Institute of India

Serum Institute of India (SII), Pune, founded 1966 by Cyrus Poonawalla, is the world's largest vaccine maker by doses (1.5+ billion/year, 170 countries); made Covishield (1.7 billion doses) and R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine.

Serum sickness

Serum sickness, also called Die Serumkrankheit, is a type III immune-complex hypersensitivity reaction causing fever, rash, and arthralgias 1-2 weeks after heterologous proteins, antivenoms, vaccines, or monoclonal antibodies; distinct from serum sickness-like reaction.

Serum-ascites albumin gradient

Serum-ascites albumin gradient (SAAG), serum albumin minus ascitic fluid albumin; a laboratory test for ascites where ≥1.1 g/dL indicates portal hypertension and <1.1 g/dL suggests malignancy, tuberculosis, or other causes.

SERVE trial

SERVE trial: multicenter double-blind randomized placebo-controlled Swiss-Austrian trial (NCT03049540) of tadalafil 20 mg daily for 3 years in 100 adults with systemic right ventricles; no significant improvement in RV end-systolic volume, ejection fraction, exercise capacity, or NT-proBNP versus placebo.

Services Hospital

Services Hospital, Lahore (SHL) is a government teaching hospital on Jail Road, Lahore, Pakistan, founded 1958 as a Mayo Hospital outpatient department. Now the 1,600-bed teaching hospital of SIMS, with a 2023 upgrade adding 24 operation theatres.

Serving Size

Serving size, also called serving, is the amount of food on which a Nutrition Facts label's calories and nutrients are based. In the US it is set by FDA RACCs from NHANES data, based on what people typically consume, not a recommended amount.

Sesame oil

Sesame oil, pressed from Sesamum indicum seeds, one of the oldest oilseed oils; 45-60% seed oil content, stabilized by lignans sesamin and sesamolin, used in cooking, cosmetics, and traditional medicine.

Sesamoid bone

Sesamoid bone: a small bone embedded in a tendon or muscle near a joint, acting as a pulley; includes the patella and hallucal sesamoids; variable prevalence, prone to sesamoiditis and avascular necrosis.

SET-2

SET-2 (CVCL_2187, DSMZ ACC 608) is a human megakaryoblastic leukemia cell line established in 1995 from a 71-year-old woman with essential thrombocythemia; it carries heterozygous JAK2 V617F and DNMT3A R882H mutations and spontaneously produces platelet-like particles.

Setipiprant

Setipiprant (ACT-129968), an oral selective CRTH2 (DP2) antagonist developed by Actelion for allergy and trialed for male pattern hair loss; safe but failed efficacy in Phase 3 rhinitis and Phase 2a alopecia trials.

Setmelanotide

Setmelanotide (IMCIVREE), an MC4R agonist cyclic peptide by Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, treats rare genetic obesity (POMC, PCSK1, LEPR deficiency, Bardet-Biedl syndrome) and acquired hypothalamic obesity via daily subcutaneous injection, first FDA-approved 2020.

Seun Johnson-Akeju

Seun Johnson-Akeju, also known as Oluwaseun Johnson-Akeju, is an American anesthesiologist who chairs anesthesiology at Mass General Brigham, holds a Harvard professorship, and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

Sevelamer

Sevelamer (Renagel, Renvela) is a non-absorbed, calcium-free crosslinked polyallylamine phosphate binder controlling hyperphosphatemia in dialysis patients; hydrochloride salt approved 2000, carbonate 2007, with GI side effects and bile-acid and drug binding.