Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (655 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A photographic fixative used also in the manufacture of resins. According to the Fourth Annual Report on Carcinogens (NTP 85-002, 1985), this substance may reasonably be anticipated to be a carcinogen (Merck Index, 9th ed). Many of its derivatives are antithyroid agents and/or free radical scavengers.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Urea; Sulfur Compounds
- Narrower topics
- beta-Aminoethyl Isothiourea; Burimamide; Dimaprit; Ethylenethiourea; Guanylthiourea; Isothiuronium; Methallibure; Metiamide; Noxythiolin; Phenylthiourea
Related concepts
- Antithyroid Agents
- Free Radical Scavengers
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 10,528 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Thiourea” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 909 of them (8.6%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 6,001 records.
Reviews account for 266 records (2.5%) and meta-analyses for 4. Randomized controlled trials number 26 (0.2%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 6,001 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,679 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,939 |
| 2020 onward | 909 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 266 | 2.5% |
| Meta-analyses | 4 | 0.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 26 | 0.2% |
Method: PubMed query "Thiourea"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in drugs and chemicals
Studies of a chemical or drug can answer very different questions: what it is and how it behaves in cells and animals, how the body handles it, and whether it changes outcomes in people. Laboratory and animal findings often do not carry over to patients, and observational studies of exposures are confounded by who uses a substance and why. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use, avoid, start or stop any substance or medicine; talk to a qualified clinician or pharmacist about your own situation. Check the dose, the species, the comparison group and whether a patient-relevant outcome was measured.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
Experimental Evidence Shows Salubrinal, an eIF2α Dephosphorylation Inhibitor, Reduces Xenotoxicant-Induced Cellular Damage [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Accumulating evidence indicates that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the subsequent unfolded protein response (UPR) are involved in the pathogenesis of not only the protein misfolding disorders such as certain neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, but also in the cytotoxicity of environmental pollutants, industrial chemicals, and drugs.
- Closing excerpt
- The canonical and other possible mechanisms of cytoprotection by salubrinal from xenotoxicant-induced ER stress are also discussed.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (174 words)
Accumulating evidence indicates that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the subsequent unfolded protein response (UPR) are involved in the pathogenesis of not only the protein misfolding disorders such as certain neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, but also in the cytotoxicity of environmental pollutants, industrial chemicals, and drugs. Thus, the modulation of ER stress signaling pathways is an important issue for protection against cellular damage induced by xenotoxicants. The substance salubrinal has been shown to prevent dephosphorylation of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α). The phosphorylation of eIF2α appears to be cytoprotective during ER stress, because inhibition of the translation initiation activity of eIF2α reduces global protein synthesis. In addition, the expression of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), a transcription factor that induces the expression of UPR target genes, is up-regulated through alternative translation. This review shows that salubrinal can protect cells from the damage induced by a wide range of xenotoxicants, including environmental pollutants and drugs. The canonical and other possible mechanisms of cytoprotection by salubrinal from xenotoxicant-induced ER stress are also discussed.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 26193263 · DOI · PMC4519949
Aerial application of mancozeb and urinary ethylene thiourea (ETU) concentrations among pregnant women in Costa Rica: the Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA) [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundMancozeb and its main metabolite ethylene thiourea (ETU) may alter thyroid function; thyroid hormones are essential for fetal brain development.
- Closing excerpt
- The factors predicting ETU provide insight into possibilities for exposure reduction.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (187 words)
BackgroundMancozeb and its main metabolite ethylene thiourea (ETU) may alter thyroid function; thyroid hormones are essential for fetal brain development. In Costa Rica, mancozeb is aerially sprayed at large-scale banana plantations on a weekly basis.ObjectivesOur goals were to evaluate urinary ETU concentrations in pregnant women living near large-scale banana plantations, compare their estimated daily intake (EDI) with established reference doses (RfDs), and identify factors that predict their urinary ETU concentrations.MethodsWe enrolled 451 pregnant women from Matina County, Costa Rica, which has large-scale banana production. We visited 445 women up to three times during pregnancy to obtain urine samples (n = 872) and information on factors that possibly influence exposure. We determined urinary ETU concentrations using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.ResultsPregnant women's median urinary ETU concentrations were more than five times higher than those reported for other general populations. Seventy-two percent of the women had EDIs above the RfD. Women who lived closest (1st quartile, ConclusionsThe pregnant women's urinary ETU concentrations are of concern, and the principal source of exposure is likely to be aerial spraying of mancozeb. The factors predicting ETU provide insight into possibilities for exposure reduction.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc0 licence; © the authors. PMID 25198283 · DOI · PMC4256696
Antiviral activity and mechanism of action of novel thiourea containing chiral phosphonate on tobacco mosaic virus [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Using half-leaf method O,O'-diisopropyl (3-(L-1-(benzylamino)-1-oxo-3- phenylpropan-2-yl)thioureido)(phenyl)methyl phosphonate (2009104) was studied for its activity on tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).
- Closing excerpt
- The study of the effect of compound 2009104 on TMV capsid protein (CP) showed that it inhibited the polymerization process of TMV-CP in vitro.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (143 words)
Using half-leaf method O,O'-diisopropyl (3-(L-1-(benzylamino)-1-oxo-3- phenylpropan-2-yl)thioureido)(phenyl)methyl phosphonate (2009104) was studied for its activity on tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). It showed good curative activity in vivo and the curative activity at 500 μg/mL was found to be 53.3%. In vivo treatment with the control agent Ningnanmycin at 500 μg/mL resulted in 51.2% inhibition and curative inhibition rates respectively. Dot-ELISA test was employed to verify the efficacy of activity of compound 200910 for anti-TMV activity. The mechanism of action of compound 2009104 to resist TMV was also studied. The results showed that the resistance enzymes PAL, POD, SOD activity and chlorophyll content after TMV inoculation K(326) (Nicotiana tabacum K(326)) of tobacco plants followed by treatment with compound 2009104 were significantly enhanced. The study of the effect of compound 2009104 on TMV capsid protein (CP) showed that it inhibited the polymerization process of TMV-CP in vitro.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 21845094 · DOI · PMC3155367
Discovery of bis-thiourea derivatives as potent tyrosinase inhibitors: combined experimental and computational study [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanin synthesis, serves as a primary target for developing depigmenting agents.
- Closing excerpt
- Drug-likeness predictions confirmed its compliance with Lipinski's rule of five, supporting bis-thiourea derivatives as promising tyrosinase inhibitors.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (151 words)
Tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanin synthesis, serves as a primary target for developing depigmenting agents. The search for novel tyrosinase inhibitors is needed due to the adverse effects of current inhibitors. This study evaluated 16 bis-thiourea derivatives using in vitro and in silico methods, identifying compound 4, with chlorine substituents, as the most potent inhibitor. Compound 4 outperformed kojic acid in inhibiting mushroom tyrosinase activity and interacted with catalytic copper ions and active site residues, as revealed by molecular docking and copper-chelating assay. Molecular dynamics simulation and MM/PBSA-based free energy calculations confirmed the greater stability and binding affinity of the compound 4-tyrosinase complex in an aqueous environment compared to kojic acid-tyrosinase complex. Melanin assay revealed that compound 4 significantly suppressed melanin production in B16F10 melanoma cells, showing stronger anti-melanogenic activity than kojic acid. Drug-likeness predictions confirmed its compliance with Lipinski's rule of five, supporting bis-thiourea derivatives as promising tyrosinase inhibitors.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40556424 · DOI · PMC12897533
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article (Thio)urea organocatalysis--what can be learnt from anion recognition? [5]
- Research article PTC/PROP tasting: anatomy, psychophysics, and sex effects [6]
- Research article Anion complexation and sensing using modified urea and thiourea-based receptors [7]
- Research article Organocatalytic asymmetric epoxidation and aziridination of olefins and their synthetic applications [8]
- Research article Amidines, isothioureas, and guanidines as nucleophilic catalysts [9]
- Research article Development of chiral thiourea catalysts and its application to asymmetric catalytic reactions [10]
References
- Matsuoka M, Komoike Y. Experimental Evidence Shows Salubrinal, an eIF2α Dephosphorylation Inhibitor, Reduces Xenotoxicant-Induced Cellular Damage. . 2015. PMID 26193263 · DOI · PMC4519949
- van Wendel de Joode B, Mora AM, Córdoba L, Cano JC, Quesada R, Faniband M, et al.. Aerial application of mancozeb and urinary ethylene thiourea (ETU) concentrations among pregnant women in Costa Rica: the Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA). . 2014. PMID 25198283 · DOI · PMC4256696
- Fan H, Song B, Bhadury PS, Jin L, Hu D, Yang S. Antiviral activity and mechanism of action of novel thiourea containing chiral phosphonate on tobacco mosaic virus. . 2011. PMID 21845094 · DOI · PMC3155367
- Sabuakham S, Nasoontorn S, Nuramrum N, Silsirivanit A, Rungrotmongkol T, Pingaew R, et al.. Discovery of bis-thiourea derivatives as potent tyrosinase inhibitors: combined experimental and computational study. . 2025. PMID 40556424 · DOI · PMC12897533
- Zhang Z, Schreiner PR. (Thio)urea organocatalysis--what can be learnt from anion recognition?. Chem Soc Rev. 2009. PMID 19421588 · DOI
- Bartoshuk LM, Duffy VB, Miller IJ. PTC/PROP tasting: anatomy, psychophysics, and sex effects. Physiol Behav. 1994. PMID 7878086 · DOI
- Li AF, Wang JH, Wang F, Jiang YB. Anion complexation and sensing using modified urea and thiourea-based receptors. Chem Soc Rev. 2010. PMID 20737072 · DOI
- Zhu Y, Wang Q, Cornwall RG, Shi Y. Organocatalytic asymmetric epoxidation and aziridination of olefins and their synthetic applications. Chem Rev. 2014. PMID 24785198 · DOI
- Taylor JE, Bull SD, Williams JM. Amidines, isothioureas, and guanidines as nucleophilic catalysts. Chem Soc Rev. 2012. PMID 22234578 · DOI
- Takemoto Y. Development of chiral thiourea catalysts and its application to asymmetric catalytic reactions. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2010. PMID 20460782 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.