Cysteamine is a small aminothiol compound (2-mercaptoethylamine) used in medicine primarily for the treatment of cystinosis, a rare genetic disorder that causes cystine accumulation in cells. It works by entering lysosomes and converting cystine into a form that can exit the cell, preventing organ damage. Cysteamine was first synthesized in the 1930s for biochemical research, and its clinical application for cystinosis was developed in the 1970s, marking a significant advance in the management of this previously untreatable disease.
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