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dihydroxyacetone (Nigrantil)

✓ Approved

Vinas · Small Molecule · Small Molecule

What is dihydroxyacetone?

dihydroxyacetone is a small molecule developed by Vinas. It is approved for therapeutic indications.

Drug Profile

Brand NamesNigrantil
CompanyVinas
Drug ClassSmall Molecule
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Vinas

Therapeutic Indications

dihydroxyacetone is developed for 1 unique indication across 1 therapeutic area.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disordersVitiligo✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedChemSusChem2026-11-11

Identifying Key Features of Polyoxometalate Catalysts for the Anaerobic Conversion of Glucose Into Lactic Acid.

Hundt Elisabeth E, Saedi Pegah P, Prawitt Lasse L, Pawlig Andreas H AH et al.

The effective valorization of biomass to value-added platform chemicals is one major aim of the green chemistry transition. A particularly promising compound in this context is lactic acid (LA), which is already extensively used in the chemical industry. This study investigates key features required for the homogeneously catalyzed transformation of glucose into LA by studying a library of polyoxometalate (POM) catalysts, with variations in structure, elemental composition, and countercation. The highest yield of LA (25 %) was obtained with the Keggin-type vanadium-substituted phosphotungstic acid H6PV3W9O40. Experimental and computational studies revealed that this performance correlates with high Brønsted and low Lewis acidity/fluoride ion affinity. Additionally, the catalyst exhibits a unique redox behavior as shown by square-wave voltammetry. Further investigations of the reaction pathway revealed these characteristics affect mainly the retro-aldol reaction of fructose to dihydroxyacetone, which was identified as the selectivity-determining step. Overall, this study contributes to the transition to a green chemical industry by providing new insights into an efficient production of the sustainable platform chemical LA.

PMID 43010657
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PubMedChemical Society reviews2026-11-05

Regulating glycerol electrooxidation pathways via catalytic environments.

Qi Yabo Y, Ye Hanzhi H, Liu Shouxin S, Luo Hui H et al.

Electrocatalytic transformation of abundant organic molecules to value-added chemicals has emerged as a promising pathway towards building a sustainable chemical industry using renewable electricity. As a byproduct of biodiesel production, glycerol can be oxidized electrochemically to synthesize a variety of value-added C1-C3 chemicals including glyceric acid, lactic acid, dihydroxyacetone, glycolic acid and formic acid etc. However, practical glycerol electrooxidation is challenged by limited product selectivity, insufficient activity and poor catalyst stability, which are deeply rooted in the reaction pathway including adsorption, electrochemical dehydrogenation, chemical transformation of intermediates, C-C bond cleavage and product desorption. This review organizes current mechanistic understanding around these coupled steps and examines how catalytic environments, comprising catalyst composition, interfacial properties and reaction conditions, regulate reaction pathways. We elucidate the critical factors that determine the reaction activity and selectivity towards retained C3 or C1/C2 products. Additionally, we distinguish site blocking caused by strongly adsorbed species or slow desorption from deactivation associated with potential-induced surface oxidation and structural evolution. The active-site engineering, regulation of interfacial structure and reaction conditions are connected to the optimisation of electrochemical performance via reactant activation, controlled intermediate transformation, organic residue removal and surface regeneration. This step-resolved perspective provides mechanistic guidance for designing efficient, selective and durable glycerol electrooxidation systems.

PMID 42986160
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PubMedACS applied materials & interfaces2026-10-30

Interface-Engineered Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to Formate Coupled with Enzymatic Dihydroxyacetone Production.

Ma Xiufan X, Wang Yuhua Y, Tan Xinyi X, Tan Tianwei T

While the electroreduction of CO2 to high-value chemicals provides a revolutionary strategy for achieving sustainable development, the direct synthesis of multi-carbon products remains a prominent challenge. Herein, an integrated strategy that combines renewable electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reactions (eCO2RR) with enzyme cascades for the high-value-added production of dihydroxyacetone is proposed. Specifically, bismuth nanocatalysts were doped with sulfur to modulate the surface electronic structure, leading to the significantly accelerated formation of *HCOO intermediates. Consequently, a 94.7% formate Faradaic efficiency was attained at 300 mA cm-2, and good long-term catalytic stability was achieved. Moreover, a 4 cm2 membrane electrode electrolyzer was employed with a 0.1 M KHCO3 neutral electrolyte to concentrate the formate product and protect the downstream enzymes from the alkaline electrolyte. The cofactor NADH was directly regenerated using a copper foam electrode, driving an enzymatic cascade to convert formate to 2.77 g L-1 dihydroxyacetone without external carbon supplementation. This work presents a DHA synthesis method, which is solely electricity-driven and involves the direct reaction of CO2 and H2O, without requiring any externally supplied cofactors or stoichiometric reductants. By exploiting the fine selectivity and efficiency of enzyme catalysis, this formate-mediated pathway maximizes carbon utilization and significantly expands the chemical space accessible to carbon dioxide.

PMID 42962371
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PubMedChemSusChem2026-10-27

Tuning the Selectivity of Glycerol Electrooxidation via Catalyst Composition and Operating Conditions.

Molera Martí M, Golovanova Viktoria V, García de Arquer F Pelayo FP, Cuesta Angel A et al.

The electrooxidation of glycerol presents a promising route for upgrading a biodiesel byproduct into high-value chemicals while lowering the energy cost of electrochemical hydrogen production, but its mechanistic understanding remains incomplete. This work investigates the influence of temperature and catalyst composition on glycerol electrooxidation using three distinct electrocatalysts: first-row transition-metal NiCo oxide, noble metal AuIn alloy, and hybrid PdNi alloy. Electrochemical, in situ UV-vis reflectance and in situ Raman measurements reveal catalyst-specific oxidation mechanisms: an oxyhydroxide-mediated path for NiCo, an adsorbed hydroxide-mediated path for AuIn which suffers from inhibition, and a dual mechanism for PdNi. Oxyhydroxide mechanisms favor formic acid, whereas adsorbed hydroxide pathways selectively promote C3 products such as glyceric acid and dihydroxyacetone. Flow cell electrolysis across a range of temperatures and flow rates relevant to industrial application shows that elevated temperature enhances reaction rates and mitigates catalyst inhibition, a relevant effect for the hybrid catalyst. These findings provide key mechanistic insights and practical guidelines for optimizing continuous-flow glycerol electrooxidation systems.

PMID 42945117
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PubMedOncology letters2026-10-25

Serum metabolomic signatures associated with gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma: A dual-platform mass spectrometry study.

Cao Huiling H, Guo Shuwei S, Li Jinchang J, Bian Yuying Y et al.

Gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma (GSRCC), a distinct subtype of gastric adenocarcinoma, is associated with increasing incidence and poor prognosis. The metabolic landscape remains poorly understood and non-invasive biomarkers for early detection are limited. The present study aimed to explore the metabolic signatures for GSRCC using metabolomics profiling. Serum samples from 8 treatment-naive patients with GSRCC and 10 healthy controls were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Differential metabolites were identified through multivariate statistical analysis (principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis) with a criteria of variable importance in projection >1, q<0.05 (Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate correction) and log2 fold change >0.58. Metabolic pathway enrichment was performed using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database. Key metabolites associated with routine clinical biochemistry parameters were analyzed in an independent cohort (35 patients with GSRCC and 35 controls). A total of 68 differential metabolites were identified (25 upregulated and 43 downregulated), predominantly comprising of phospholipids and amino acids. Pathway enrichment revealed significant alterations in 'choline metabolism in cancer', 'glycerophospholipid metabolism', 'pentose and glucuronate interconversions' and 'arginine biosynthesis' (all P<0.05; q<0.05). Among the enriched pathway-associated metabolites, phosphatidylcholine [PC(20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)/20:2(11Z,14Z)] and dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) acyl ester showed the most significant differences (q<0.05) and demonstrated area under the curve values exceeding 0.80 (0.89 and 0.99, respectively). Patients with GSRCC exhibited significantly lower levels of cholinesterase, total protein, albumin and hemoglobin compared with controls (all P<0.01). Overall, the present study identified serum metabolomic alterations in GSRCC, highlighting the key role of choline and glycerophospholipid metabolism, with PC[20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)/20:2(11Z,14Z)] and DHAP acyl ester representing exploratory candidate metabolic signatures associated with GSRCC, providing a foundation for future biomarker discovery.

PMID 42923593
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PubMedProtein and peptide letters2026-10-22

Beyond glycolysis: Multifaceted roles of triosephosphate isomerase 1 (TPI1) in malignant tumor progression.

Li Xiang X, Wang Han H, Xie Yihan Y, Li Wenxin W et al.

Triosephosphate isomerase 1 (TPI1) is a key glycolytic enzyme that catalyzes the reversible interconversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate. Emerging evidence suggests that TPI1 also participates in cancer-associated non-canonical functions involving altered subcellular localization, protein-protein interactions, signaling regulation, and therapeutic responses. This narrative review summarizes the biochemical properties of TPI1 and critically evaluates its expression patterns, prognostic associations, molecular mechanisms, and therapeutic implications across malignancies. TPI1 is frequently upregulated in several cancer types, although its biological and clinical significance varies substantially among tumors. Experimental studies have identified potential moonlighting functions involving nuclear localization in lung adenocarcinoma and protein-interaction-dependent signaling in breast cancer, glioblastoma, and bladder cancer. In hepatocellular carcinoma, apparently conflicting findings may reflect differences in experimental models, cellular contexts, and intracellular versus extracellular-vesicle-associated TPI1. Emerging evidence also implicates TPI1 in tumor immune regulation and therapeutic resistance, although many findings remain based on computational associations or preclinical models. Current research is limited by insufficient prospective clinical validation and the absence of established, broadly applicable pharmacological strategies targeting TPI1. Collectively, TPI1 represents a context-dependent candidate biomarker and potential therapeutic target in cancer, warranting further mechanistic investigation and clinical validation. REGISTRATION: Not applicable; this article is a narrative review.

PMID 42906817
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