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AICAR (Acadesine) record · updated 7h ago

Metabolic & appetiteMuscle & body compGrade B · human evidenceResearch use only
All 15 studiesJump to the evidenceCompare
What is AICAR (Acadesine) used for?

AICAR (Acadesine) is a small-molecule compound that acts as an activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key regulator of cellular energy homeostasis. By mimicking AMP, AICAR promotes a shift in cellular metabolism towards energy-producing pathways, enhancing metabolic efficiency. The activation of AMPK by AICAR has been associated with various physiological effects, including improved endurance, metabolic adaptation, and cardioprotective properties.

How it works: AMPK activator

Primarily researched for · Metabolic & appetite

Development stage

where AICAR (Acadesine) sits between preclinical work and regulatory approval
  1. 1Current
    Preclinical
    Animal / in-vitro work
  2. 2Not reached
    Phase 1
    Safety in humans
  3. 3Not reached
    Phase 2
    Efficacy signal
  4. 4Not reached
    Phase 3
    Confirmatory trials
  5. 5Not reached
    Approved
    Cleared by a regulator

Stage is inferred from the highest trial phase in the indexed corpus and 14 registered trials. It describes the research record, not a recommendation.

Identity
NameAICAR (Acadesine)
Chain length—
Molecular weight338.2 Da
FormulaC9H15N4O8P
Structure typeSmall molecule
ClassMetabolic
Research levelPreclinical
Discovered byCurated master list · 2026

Mass and formula from PubChem CID 65110. No verified residue count for this compound.

Pharmacology
MechanismAMPK activator
Route—
Half-life—
Time to peak—
Duration—
Extraction confidence0.80
Effect profile · 0–5
These seven scores are generated by the Librarian — an autonomous agent running GPT-4o over the indexed studies, trials and label data for this compound. No human assigns them and no community vote moves them. Last recomputed Nov 4, 2026. How this works →
Research stats
Total studies15
Human / animal / cellular1 / 9 / 5
Highest trial phasePreclinical
Years covered2023–2026
Latest study1d ago
Publication history
20232026
Research funding
—no NIH grants found
Safety signals
FAERS reportsnone recorded
Serious AEs in animal work—
Community reports—
Positive —Neutral —Negative —
Records

Study register

15 rows · newest 12 shownOpen in the library →
StudyTypeYearSummary depth
Classically activated macrophages undergo functionally significant nucleotide metabolism remodelling driven by nitric oxide.
FindingNot reported in abstract.
In vitro2025Title only0.20
AMPKα2 signals amino acid insufficiency to inhibit protein synthesis.
FindingNot reported in abstract.
Animal2026Full text read0.80
Defective autophagy and AMPK inactivation drive ferroptosis in diabetic kidney disease.
FindingNot reported in abstract.
Animal2026Full text read0.80
Experimental and mathematical models reveal that AMPK modulates circadian clock gene expression and period through NAD+-dependent regulation of Bmal1
FindingNot reported in abstract.
In vitro2026Full text read0.70
FGF21 attenuates sepsis-induced myocardial injury via AMPK-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis.
Finding5-day survival rate improved from ∼20% in CLP to ∼60% in CLP + OE-FGF21.
Animal2026Full text read0.80
LKB1/ AMPK deficiency aggravates mitochondrial DNA leakage via mTOR-dependent mitophagy damage in liver injury sensitized by trichloroethylene.
FindingNot reported in abstract.
Animal2026Full text read0.70
Sub-chronic exposure to lanthanum chloride induces hepatic steatosis via AMPK-dependent lipophagic defects in male zebrafish.
FindingNot reported in abstract.
Animal2026Full text read0.80
Berberine Regulates Hepatic Fatty Acid Metabolism via AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α Pathway.
FindingLower fasting blood glucose levels in BBR group compared to model group, P<0.01.
Animal2023Full text read0.70
MiR-27b-3p suppresses proliferation and testosterone synthesis in goat Leydig cells by activating the AMPK pathway through PPARG targeting.
FindingP < 0.05 for reduced Cyclin B1/E2 levels with miR-27b-3p overexpression.
Animal2026Full text read0.70
Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) induces glycolipid metabolic dysfunction in porcine ovarian granulosa cells via Wnt and AMPK signaling pathways.
Finding5253 differentially expressed genes identified in GnIH-treated GCs, n=not reported.
Animal2026Full text read0.70
Thapsigargin-induced autophagic flux impairment and inflammation are potentiated by CLN3 deficiency and alleviated by 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) in human ARPE-19 cells.
FindingNot reported in abstract.
In vitro2026Full text read0.80
Pharmacological inhibition of TRPM4 channel stabilizes atherosclerotic plaque via inhibiting AMPK-Beclin1-mediated autophagy.
FindingNot reported in abstract.
Animal2026Full text read0.70

What people are saying

anecdotal · not evidence

Unverified first-hand accounts from public forums. These are not studies: nobody checked what was taken, whether it was what the label said, or what else was going on. They count for nothing in the evidence grade above and are shown because a reader searching AICAR (Acadesine) will meet them anyway, and meeting them next to a graded evidence base is better than meeting them alone.

Community collection has not run yet, so this is an empty shelf rather than a quiet one — nothing has been read, and no conclusion about how much AICAR (Acadesine) is discussed should be drawn from it.

Articles mentioning AICAR (Acadesine)