Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42524932›Full record

ReviewEinstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil)2026

i-motifs: DNA structures with regulatory functions and therapeutic potential.

Murilo Porfírio de Aguiar, Eleni Solange de Brito Gomes, Jéssica Ferreira Vieira

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

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

3 authors.

Murilo Porfírio de AguiarMolecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, SP, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7533-0763
Eleni Solange de Brito GomesMolecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, SP, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3795-150X
Jéssica Ferreira VieiraHuman Genetics Laboratory, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3556-9849

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Non-B DNA structures represent alternative conformations to the canonical double helix, characterized by unconventional base pairing that diverge from the Watson-Crick model. Among these, the i-motifs, formed in cytosine-rich regions, has attracted considerable attention due to its potential regulatory roles. This review examines the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and stability of i-motifs, which rely on hydrogen bonding between protonated cytosines. These structures can form under slightly acidic and even neutral pH conditions, depending on the DNA sequence context. Their diverse topologies and capacity to interact with specific proteins and ligands suggest that i-motifs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression, particularly within promoters of oncogenes, as well as in telomeric and centromeric regions. Understanding the behavior and biological relevance of i-motifs may deepen our insight into genomic regulation and reveal novel therapeutic opportunities. Targeting i-motif structures therefore represents a promising strategy for the treatment of cancer and other complex diseases.

Indexed as

DNANucleic Acid ConformationNucleotide MotifsCytosineGene Expression RegulationHumansHydrogen BondingHydrogen-Ion ConcentrationCytosineDNA

Identifiers

PMID42524932
PMCPMC13399303

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.