Drug Database
HY

hydroquinone (pigmentasa / pigmentasa)

✓ Approved

Vinas · Small Molecule · Small Molecule

What is hydroquinone?

hydroquinone is a small molecule developed by Vinas. It is approved for therapeutic indications via topical.

Drug Profile

Brand Namespigmentasa, pigmentasa
CompanyVinas
Drug ClassSmall Molecule
RouteTopical
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Vinas

Therapeutic Indications

hydroquinone is developed for 2 unique indications across 1 therapeutic area.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disordersChloasma✓ Approved
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disordersSkin hyperpigmentation✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedNature metabolism2026-11-11

Microbiota-based modulation of intratumoral cholesterol metabolism for colorectal cancer treatment.

Wu Jiayan J, Li Liguo L, Lai Yingyao Y, Li Jinming J et al.

Excess cholesterol accumulates in colorectal cancer (CRC) and promotes its progression, yet systemic cholesterol-lowering has limited benefits and safety concerns. Here we show that redirecting intestinal cholesterol metabolism through the gut microbiota generates a metabolite, 4-cholesten-3-one (4-C-3), which suppresses CRC growth. A screen of microbial cholesterol metabolites showed that 4-C-3 is depleted in faecal and tumour samples from patients with CRC. 4-C-3 suppresses tumour growth in CRC cell lines, patient-derived organoids and xenografts. Mechanistically, 4-C-3 suppresses two major oncogenic drivers of CRC by inhibiting epidermal growth-factor receptor activation and stabilizing mutant oncogenic KRAS in an inactive state, thereby overcoming KRAS-driven resistance to anti-epidermal growth-factor receptor therapy. As proof of concept, restoring 4-C-3 using either Oscillibacter ruminantium, a natural 4-C-3 producer reduced in CRC, or a non-pathogenic Escherichia coli engineered to convert intestinal cholesterol into 4-C-3, lowered intratumoral cholesterol and induced tumour regression in preclinical models without overt toxicity. These findings uncover a microbiota-cholesterol metabolic pathway that can be harnessed through microbiome engineering to selectively target CRC and overcome therapy resistance.

PMID 43009614
Read full article →
PubMedCNS neuroscience & therapeutics2026-11-11

4-Octyl Itaconate Restores Microglial Efferocytosis by Suppressing NRF2/PD-L1-Dependent Neutrophil NET Formation in Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy.

Meng Na N, Zhang Xixue X, Tian Kaiwen K, Zhou Yue Y et al.

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a frequent neurological complication of sepsis characterized by acute neurobehavioral abnormalities and persistent cognitive impairment. Although 4-octyl itaconate (4-OI) possesses potent immunomodulatory properties, its neuroprotective effects and underlying mechanisms in SAE remain unclear. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and mice were treated with 4-OI. Behavioral tests were used to assess anxiety-like behavior and cognitive function. Transcriptomic and single-cell RNA-seq analyses were performed to characterize efferocytosis-related changes in the septic hippocampus. Western blot, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, experiments using primary neutrophils and microglia, pharmacological interventions, and Padi4-/- mice were used to investigate NET formation and microglial efferocytosis. 4-OI improved neurobehavioral and cognitive outcomes, reduced hippocampal injury, blood-brain barrier disruption, and neuroinflammation, and suppressed NET accumulation in the septic hippocampus and LPS-stimulated neutrophils. NRF2 inhibition weakened the effects of 4-OI on neutrophil PD-L1 expression and NET formation, whereas PD-L1 neutralization reduced NET formation. Transcriptomic analyses identified microglia/myeloid-associated efferocytosis programs. NETs impaired microglial efferocytosis, while DNase I treatment or PAD4 deficiency preserved apoptotic cell clearance. 4-OI protects against septic brain injury and cognitive dysfunction by activating NRF2, suppressing PD-L1-mediated NET formation, and mitigating NET-associated impairment of microglial efferocytosis.

PMID 43010629
Read full article →
PubMedAngewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)2026-11-11

Quantitative Pertechnetate Capture by a Bambusuril-based Material: From Seawater Decontamination to Radiopharmaceutical Solutions.

Šusterová Michaela M, Claude Guilhem G, Rupf Susanne M SM, Kataev Evgeny A EA et al.

Pertechnetate is central to nuclear waste management (99 TcO 4 -) and nuclear medicine (99m TcO 4 -), yet its selective capture from saline media at ultratrace concentrations remains an unsolved challenge. Here we show that bambusuril macrocycles binds 99 TcO 4 - in water with micromolar affinity, forming well-defined host-guest complexes. Immobilization of bambusuril on silica translates this molecular recognition into efficient solid-phase extraction, enhancing binding under highly competitive conditions of seawater and medicinal generator eluents. The resulting material quantitatively captures 99 TcO 4 - from saline solutions at femtomolar concentrations and enables direct elution of preconcentrated 99 TcO 4 - using commercial nuclear medicine kit formulations. These findings establish bambusuril-based materials as the first supramolecular platform for ultratrace pertechnetate capture from highly competitive saline media, bridging molecular recognition with applications in nuclear medicine and environmental remediation.

PMID 43012525
Read full article →
PubMedJournal of agricultural and food chemistry2026-11-11

Brassinosteroid and Light Quality Synergistically Regulate Aroma Biosynthesis via the CmBES1-4-CmDof13 Module in Postharvest Oriental Melon (Cucumis melo).

Zhang Chong C, Ju Meng M, Wang Zhongbo Z, Pang Hongbo H et al.

Brassinosteroids and light quality regulate secondary metabolism in fruits, yet the synergistic control of volatile aroma biosynthesis in oriental melon (Cucumis melo var. makuwa) remains unclear. In this study, we used volatile metabolomics, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and DNA Affinity Purification Sequencing (DAP-seq) methods to show that red light combined with brassinosteroids effectively increased total volatiles, particularly esters, at day 6 after harvest. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) identified a module strongly associated with ester content, in which the brassinosteroid-responsive transcription factor CmBES1-4 co-occurred with CmDof13 and the downstream target genes CmLOX18 and CmAAT1. DAP-seq analysis revealed that CmBES1-4 bound E-box and BRRE motifs genome-wide, thereby directly targeting CmDof13. Dual-luciferase, yeast one-hybrid, and EMSA assays confirmed that CmBES1-4 activated CmDof13 expression via E-box binding. These findings identified a novel light/BR-CmBES1-4-CmDof13-ester biosynthesis regulatory module, which provided theoretical insights for improving postharvest aroma quality in oriental melon.

PMID 43012713
Read full article →
PubMedChemical science2026-11-11

Metal-ligand orbital mixing mediates spin-phonon coupling in group VI tetraaryl molecular color centers.

Lee Victor Chang VC, Lee Jaewon J, Park Hong Youl HY, Johnson Dane A DA et al.

Understanding the microscopic mechanisms governing spin-phonon coupling in transition metal complexes is essential for the rational design of molecular qubits with long coherence and relaxation times. Here, we present a comprehensive first-principles study of spin-phonon relaxation in Cr(o-tolyl)4 and Mo(o-tolyl)4 diluted in a diamagnetic Sn(o-tolyl)4 crystal matrix. Our calculations predict a striking two-order-of-magnitude difference in T 1 relaxation times between the two systems, in excellent agreement with experiment. By combining advanced electronic structure theory with lattice dynamical calculations, we reproduce the observed relaxation behavior and uncover the microscopic origin of the enhanced T 1 in Cr(o-tolyl)4. Our analysis reveals that the main difference between the two metal centers is primarily governed by the metal-ligand electronic structure. Greater metal-ligand orbital mixing in the Mo complex, together with its stronger spin-orbit coupling, substantially increase the sensitivity of the zero-field splitting tensor to ligand nuclear motion. This enhanced spin-phonon coupling accelerates spin relaxation and accounts for the shorter T 1 of Mo(o-tolyl)4. Our results establish a direct connection between electronic structure, vibrational coupling, and spin relaxation, providing a microscopic design principle for the development of T 1 relaxation times.

PMID 43011458
Read full article →
PubMedBMC cancer2026-11-11

Combined morphology and distribution features for risk stratification in pathology-enriched BI-RADS 4A/4B microcalcifications.

Zhang Shiyi S, Dong Shiwen S, Chen Yongtian Y, Yu Yonglong Y et al.

Breast microcalcifications are a common indication for biopsy in breast cancer screening and often represent the earliest mammographic manifestation of malignancy. However, substantial heterogeneity within BI-RADS 4 A lesions presents challenges for clinical interpretation. This study aimed to evaluate the association of microcalcification morphology and distribution with pathological outcomes and to explore their potential role in characterizing heterogeneity within BI-RADS 4 A lesions. A total of 327 patients with 356 pathologically confirmed microcalcification-positive breast lesions detected on digital mammography were retrospectively analyzed on a lesion-based basis. Calcification morphology and distribution were classified according to the BI-RADS 5th Edition. Associations with pathological outcomes were assessed using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent factors associated with malignancy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate diagnostic performance at BI-RADS thresholds ≥4 A and ≥4B. Among the 327 patients, 205 (62.7%) had malignant disease and 122 (37.3%) had benign disease. Fine pleomorphic (80.2%), amorphous (66.2%), and fine linear or branching (100%) morphologies, as well as clustered (71.2%), regional (96.6%), and linear (100%) distribution patterns, were significantly associated with malignancy (P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that morphology and distribution remained independently associated with malignancy. Among lesions initially categorized as BI-RADS 4 A in institutional practice (n = 58), substantial heterogeneity was observed. Lesions with high-risk morphology and distribution patterns were more frequently malignant, whereas punctate calcifications with scattered distribution showed a lower malignancy proportion. In this pathology-confirmed cohort, BI-RADS ≥4B showed higher specificity than BI-RADS ≥4 A, although this category-level finding should be interpreted descriptively. In this retrospective cohort of biopsied BI-RADS 4 A/4B microcalcification-positive lesions, combined morphology and distribution features provided supplementary information for imaging-pathology correlation and helped illustrate risk heterogeneity within institutionally assigned BI-RADS 4 A lesions. These findings should be interpreted as confirmatory observations within a selected biopsy cohort rather than population-level malignancy estimates, and they are not intended to replace established BI-RADS-based management principles. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the pathology-enriched design and should not be considered population-level risk estimates. They may provide supplementary information for understanding lesion heterogeneity but are not intended to replace established BI-RADS-based clinical decision-making.

PMID 43009821
Read full article →

+9996 more articles available with a free account

Sign up free to view all articles →

Ask about hydroquinone