Research background · Updated November 1, 2026
AICAR Research: Publications, Study Types and Background
Short answer
AICAR. As of November 1, 2026, PubMed indexes 2,523 records matching AICAR, the earliest from 1966; 453 were published in 2021–2025 and 85 are reviews. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 10 registered studies matching the compound.
- PubMed records
- 2,523
- Earliest record
- 1966
- Published 2021–2025
- 453
- Reviews
- 85
- Animal-only studies
- 1,146
- Registered studies
- 10
Publications per year, 2006–2025
1,141 records in 2016–2025 against 1,192 in 2006–2015; the busiest year was 2011, with 149.
See the numbers
| Year | PubMed records |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 72 |
| 2007 | 89 |
| 2008 | 111 |
| 2009 | 102 |
| 2010 | 120 |
| 2011 | 149 |
| 2012 | 118 |
| 2013 | 140 |
| 2014 | 147 |
| 2015 | 144 |
| 2016 | 137 |
| 2017 | 113 |
| 2018 | 141 |
| 2019 | 123 |
| 2020 | 135 |
| 2021 | 97 |
| 2022 | 108 |
| 2023 | 94 |
| 2024 | 98 |
| 2025 | 95 |
Study types
| All PubMed records | 2,523 |
|---|---|
| Reviews | 853% |
| Animal studies (no human subjects indexed) | 1,14645% |
| Indexed as clinical trials | 291% |
| Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov | 10 |
Categories overlap and follow PubMed’s own indexing; recent records may not be indexed yet.
Primary research directions
What 2 of the most-cited and most recent AICAR papers report, in their own authors’ terms. Each line links the paper it came from.
AMPK and diabetic neuropathy
In mouse models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, AICAR prevented or reversed experimental peripheral neuropathy and increased AMPK phosphorylation in dorsal root ganglion neurons.
MiceChandrasekaran K 2024International journal of molecular sciencesPMID 39795939
Liver cell autophagy
In HepG2 liver cells, AICAR did not relieve isoniazid-induced mitochondrial instability and decreased isoniazid-induced autophagy, which the authors give as the reason it failed to protect the cells.
CellsZhang TG 2017Journal of applied toxicologyPMID 28556920
Most-studied topics
The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic, across 400 of the 2,523 records. They describe what the literature is about, not what AICAR does.
- Aminoimidazole Carboxamide266 papers
- Ribonucleotides189 papers
- AMP-Activated Protein Kinases97 papers
- Ribonucleosides76 papers
- Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases46 papers
- Muscle, Skeletal43 papers
- Multienzyme Complexes43 papers
- Hypoglycemic Agents41 papers
Key papers
Earliest indexed record
Arakawa T (1966). The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine.
PMID 5955239Most-cited paper · 796 citations
Merrill GF (1997). The American journal of physiology.
PMID 9435525Most-cited #2 · 454 citations
Russell RR 3rd (1999). The American journal of physiology.
PMID 10444490Most-cited #3 · 414 citations
Sullivan JE (1994). FEBS letters.
PMID 7926017
Citation counts from NIH iCite, among the 400 records sampled. Titles are left out; open each record on PubMed to read it.
Identity
| CAS | 3031-94-5 |
|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C9H15N4O8P |
| Molecular weight | 338.21 g/mol |
| Synonyms | AICA ribonucleotide, Z-nucleotide, AICA-ribonucleotide, aminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleotide, 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide ribotide |
Identity data from PubChem, retrieved November 1, 2026, on the AICAR page.
How these numbers were counted
- PubMed search, run November 1, 2026:
AICAR[tiab] OR acadesine[tiab]re-run it. Study types add PubMed’s own filters (review, clinical trial, animals not humans). - Topics: MeSH major-topic headings counted across up to 400 of the matching records; headings for study set-up (species, sex, age) are left out.
- Citations: NIH iCite citation counts for the same records.
- ClinicalTrials.gov search:
AICAR OR acadesinere-run it. Any phase, any status.
This page reports what has been published and what papers say they found, with each source linked. It gives no dosing or usage information, and nothing here is a reason to use AICAR outside a laboratory.
Wholesale supply
AICAR, sourced to order for research.
Not held in the listed catalog. Tell us the vial size and the number of vials and we come back with availability, documentation and pricing in writing.
AICAR research questions
How much research has been published on AICAR?
PubMed indexes 2,523 records matching AICAR (searched November 1, 2026), including 85 reviews and 29 records indexed as clinical trials. 453 were published in the five years 2021–2025.
When was AICAR first described in the literature?
The earliest PubMed record matching AICAR is from 1966 (Arakawa T, The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine, PMID 5955239).
What topics does the AICAR literature cover?
The subject headings PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic of AICAR papers are Aminoimidazole Carboxamide, Ribonucleotides, AMP-Activated Protein Kinases, Ribonucleosides. These describe what the literature is about. Findings from individual papers, with their sources, are summarized on this page.
Is AICAR sold for human use?
No. Vanta Foundry supplies it for laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not a drug, food, cosmetic or dietary supplement.
Where can I buy AICAR wholesale for research?
We source AICAR to order rather than stock it. Tell us the vial size and number of vials on WhatsApp or by email and the quote confirms availability, documentation and pricing.
Research materials supplied by Vanta Foundry are for laboratory research use only. They are not for human or veterinary use and are not drugs, foods, cosmetics or dietary supplements. Websites and payment processing are business services for research-supply brands.
All compounds: research peptide publication statistics.