Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41885959›Full record

ArticleNeurochemical research2026

Urocanic Acid Alleviates Cognitive Impairment by Targeting ZCCHC3 and Suppressing the cGAS-STING-Mediated Senescence.

Sheng Hu, Zhixiong Kou, Bin Chen, Yihan Yang, Yong You

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Article in Neurochemical research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

5 authors.

Sheng Hu *Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China.
Zhixiong Kou *Key Specialty Office of Sanya Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sanya, Hainan, China.
Bin ChenDepartment of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China.
Yihan YangDepartment of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China.
Yong YouDepartment of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China. hy213440@muhn.edu.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82360230 and 82260226Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province 823QN353
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the role of urocanic acid (UCA) modulates cognitive impairment in a D-galactose (DG)-induced aging model, providing new insights and a theoretical foundation for the treatment of related diseases. Mouse senescence and astrocyte model was created by DG-induced stimuli to assess the effects of UCA. Molecular docking was utilized to confirm potential targets of UCA, and the interaction was validated using the Drug Affinity Responsive Target Stability assay combined with Western blot analysis. The molecular mechanism of UCA was elucidated through in vivo and in vitro experiments. The result showed that UCA treatment ameliorated learning and memory capabilities in DG-induced mice, maintains astrocyte morphology while reducing apoptosis and senescent cells, and inflammatory factors. Additionally, UCA treatment alleviated cell cycle arrest. Molecular docking revealed direct binding between UCA and the ZCCHC3 protein. ZCCHC3 overexpression exacerbated cellular senescence, increased apoptosis and senescent cells, and inflammatory factor levels, while simultaneously activating the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway. UCA treatment reversed the effects of ZCCHC3 overexpression. Mechanistically, UCA inhibited the cGAS/STING pathway by binding to ZCCHC3, thereby alleviating cellular senescence. In vivo experiments further confirmed that ZCCHC3 overexpression or exogenous cGAS activation negated the cognitive protective effects of UCA. The study demonstrates that UCA alleviates cognitive impairment and astrocyte senescence by directly binding to ZCCHC3 to suppress the cGAS‑STING pathway. These results identify ZCCHC3 as a novel therapeutic target and clarify the molecular basis of related disorders.raci.

Indexed as

Cellular SenescenceCognitive DysfunctionMembrane ProteinsNucleotidyltransferasesUrocanic AcidAnimalsApoptosisAstrocytescGAS-STING Signaling PathwayCyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-Adenosine Monophosphate SynthaseGalactoseMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMolecular Docking SimulationSignal TransductioncGAS protein, mouseCyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-Adenosine Monophosphate SynthaseGalactoseMembrane ProteinsNucleotidyltransferasesSting1 protein, mouseSTING ProteinUrocanic AcidAstrocyte senescencecGAS-STINGCognitive impairmentUrocanic acidZCCHC3

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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.