Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40709085›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in pharmacology2025

A diaryl urea derivative, SMCl inhibits cell proliferation through the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Yue Fu, Weiyue Fang, Fuqiang Qiu, Juncai Lai, Yangjin Xu, Bin Chen, Yang Li, Xiaohui Zhu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in pharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Yue FuSchool of Pharmacy, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Weiyue FangCollege of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, China.
Fuqiang QiuShenzhen ChemStrong Scientific Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China.
Juncai LaiShenzhen ChemStrong Scientific Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China.
Yangjin XuShenzhen ChemStrong Scientific Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China.
Bin ChenShenzhen ChemStrong Scientific Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China.
Yang LiReference Material R&D Center, Shenzhen Jiangchuan Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China.
Xiaohui ZhuSchool of Pharmacy, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks among the three most prevalent cancer-related diseases in terms of incidence. Hence, exploring drugs for HCC therapy is of great significance. Compounds with a diaryl urea structure have been reported to exhibit a broad range of biological activities, including anticancer activity. This study focuses on the specific diaryl urea derivative 4-(4-(3-(2-chloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ureido)phenoxy)-N-methylpicolinamide (SMCl), with particular emphasis on investigating its therapeutic effects against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: Results: The MTS and colony formation assays demonstrated that SMCl significantly decreased the viability of HCC cells. Western blot analysis demonstrated that SMCl effectively suppressed hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation by markedly inhibiting the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, with this inhibitory effect exhibiting both time- and concentration-dependent characteristics. SMCl also demonstrated significant therapeutic efficacy in the xenograft tumor model, achieving a tumor inhibition rate of 72.37%. Notably, it showed no significant impact on spleen weight or body weight in mice, indicating low toxicity to normal tissues. Conclusion: This study first elucidates the effects of SMCl on HCC cells and its impact on the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, providing a potential active compound for the clinical treatment of liver cancer.

Indexed as

bioactive compoundcell proliferationdiaryl urea derivativehepatocellular carcinomaRAS/RAF/MEK/ERK

Identifiers

PMID40709085
PMCPMC12287612

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.