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 (752 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
Methylester of cellulose. Methylcellulose is used as an emulsifying and suspending agent in cosmetics, pharmaceutics and the chemical industry. It is used therapeutically as a bulk laxative.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Methyl Cellulose; Cellulose, Methyl; Methocel; BFL; Celevac; Cellothyl; Cellulone; Citrucel.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Cellulose
- Narrower topics
- Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 9,514 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Methylcellulose” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 2,153 of them (22.6%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 2,791 records.
Reviews account for 165 records (1.7%) and meta-analyses for 4. Randomized controlled trials number 280 (2.9%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 2,791 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,924 |
| 2010-2019 | 2,646 |
| 2020 onward | 2,153 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 165 | 1.7% |
| Meta-analyses | 4 | 0.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 280 | 2.9% |
Method: PubMed query "Methylcellulose"[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.
Toll like receptor-3 ligand poly-ICLC promotes the efficacy of peripheral vaccinations with tumor antigen-derived peptide epitopes in murine CNS tumor models [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundToll-like receptor (TLR)3 ligands serve as natural inducers of pro-inflammatory cytokines capable of promoting Type-1 adaptive immunity, and TLR3 is abundantly expressed by cells within the central nervous system (CNS).
- Closing excerpt
- ConclusionThese data suggest that poly-ICLC, which has been previously evaluated in clinical trials, can be effectively combined with tumor Ag-specific vaccine strategies, thereby providing a greater index of therapeutic efficacy.
- 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 (207 words)
BackgroundToll-like receptor (TLR)3 ligands serve as natural inducers of pro-inflammatory cytokines capable of promoting Type-1 adaptive immunity, and TLR3 is abundantly expressed by cells within the central nervous system (CNS). To improve the efficacy of vaccine strategies directed against CNS tumors, we evaluated whether administration of a TLR3 ligand, polyinosinic-polycytidylic (poly-IC) stabilized with poly-lysine and carboxymethylcellulose (poly-ICLC) would enhance the anti-CNS tumor effectiveness of tumor peptide-based vaccinations.MethodsC57BL/6 mice bearing syngeneic CNS GL261 glioma or M05 melanoma received subcutaneous (s.c.) vaccinations with synthetic peptides encoding CTL epitopes--mEphA2 (671-679), hgp100 (25-33) and mTRP-2 (180-188) for GL261, or ovalbumin (OVA: 257-264) for M05. The mice also received intramuscular (i.m.) injections with poly-ICLC.ResultsThe combination of subcutaneous (s.c.) peptide-based vaccination and i.m. poly-ICLC administration promoted systemic induction of antigen (Ag)-specific Type-1 CTLs expressing very late activation antigen (VLA)-4, which confers efficient CNS-tumor homing of vaccine-induced CTLs based on experiments with monoclonal antibody (mAb)-mediated blockade of VLA-4. In addition, the combination treatment allowed expression of IFN-gamma by CNS tumor-infiltrating CTLs, and improved the survival of tumor bearing mice in the absence of detectable autoimmunity.ConclusionThese data suggest that poly-ICLC, which has been previously evaluated in clinical trials, can be effectively combined with tumor Ag-specific vaccine strategies, thereby providing a greater index of therapeutic efficacy.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 17295916 · DOI · PMC1802742
Bioreactor mechanically guided 3D mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis using a biocompatible novel thermo-reversible methylcellulose-based hydrogel [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Autologous chondrocyte implantation for cartilage repair represents a challenge because strongly limited by chondrocytes' poor expansion capacity in vitro.
- Closing excerpt
- Mechanical stimulation led to a significant increase in chondrogenic gene expression, while histological analysis detected sulphated glycosaminoglycans and collagen II only in loaded specimens, confirming MC hydrogel suitability to support load induced MSCs chondrogenesis.
- 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 (200 words)
Autologous chondrocyte implantation for cartilage repair represents a challenge because strongly limited by chondrocytes' poor expansion capacity in vitro. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into chondrocytes, while mechanical loading has been proposed as alternative strategy to induce chondrogenesis excluding the use of exogenous factors. Moreover, MSC supporting material selection is fundamental to allow for an active interaction with cells. Here, we tested a novel thermo-reversible hydrogel composed of 8% w/v methylcellulose (MC) in a 0.05 M Na2SO4 solution. MC hydrogel was obtained by dispersion technique and its thermo-reversibility, mechanical properties, degradation and swelling were investigated, demonstrating a solution-gelation transition between 34 and 37 °C and a low bulk degradation (<20%) after 1 month. The lack of any hydrogel-derived immunoreaction was demonstrated in vivo by mice subcutaneous implantation. To induce in vitro chondrogenesis, MSCs were seeded into MC solution retained within a porous polyurethane (PU) matrix. PU-MC composites were subjected to a combination of compression and shear forces for 21 days in a custom made bioreactor. Mechanical stimulation led to a significant increase in chondrogenic gene expression, while histological analysis detected sulphated glycosaminoglycans and collagen II only in loaded specimens, confirming MC hydrogel suitability to support load induced MSCs chondrogenesis.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 28332587 · DOI · PMC5362895
Cellulase activity screening using pure carboxymethylcellulose: application to soluble cellulolytic samples and to plant tissue prints [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Reliable, rapid and inexpensive detection of cellulolytic enzymes that can be used for a wide variety of biological and environmental samples are currently in high demand.
- Closing excerpt
- A useful variant of this new method is its applicability to plant tissue prints for spatial mapping of the cellulolytic activity in a zymogram-like fashion.
- 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 (148 words)
Reliable, rapid and inexpensive detection of cellulolytic enzymes that can be used for a wide variety of biological and environmental samples are currently in high demand. Here, a new cellulase detection protocol is described that circumvents problems observed with popular agar-based methods by exploiting the ability of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) to form gel-like surfaces on its own. These pure CMC-layers are sensitive to cellulolytic degradation and stainable by Gram's iodine without showing unwelcome reactions with other enzymes. The staining intensity negatively correlates with the enzyme activity and can be used for quantification. Cellulase activities are not obstructed by high sugar contents (e.g., in plant material) which limit the applicability of other quantification methods, making our new method particularly attractive for screening of plant extracts. A useful variant of this new method is its applicability to plant tissue prints for spatial mapping of the cellulolytic activity in a zymogram-like fashion.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 24413752 · DOI · PMC3907841
Arterioembolic Characteristics of Differentially Diluted CaHA-CMC Gels Within An Artificial Macrovascular Perfusion Model [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundDespite the recently increased incidence and improved awareness of filler-induced ischemic injuries, the arterioembolic behavior of filler products has not been well described.
- Closing excerpt
- Hyperdilution profoundly reduced the proximally occlusive potential of the product.
- 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 (197 words)
BackgroundDespite the recently increased incidence and improved awareness of filler-induced ischemic injuries, the arterioembolic behavior of filler products has not been well described.ObjectivesTo evaluate the embolic behavior of varying dilutions of calcium hydroxylapatite-carboxymethylcellulose (CaHA-CMC) gel mixtures within an artificial macrovascular perfusion model of the proximal facial artery with correlation against published instances of ischemic injuries in the literature.MethodsCaHA-CMC gel mixtures were assessed through the Pulsatile Unit for the Laboratory Simulation of Arterioembolic Restrictions (PULSAR) system at different flow rates. The occlusive behavior, embolic particle size distributions, and morphological attributes were evaluated through direct photographic and videographic captures followed by digital image processing. The PubMed database was systematically queried for all published instances of CaHA-CMC-associated ischemic injuries.ResultsUndiluted CaHA-CMC demonstrated highly cohesive behavior upon PULSAR inoculation, with a tendency toward proximal occlusion. Gel fragmentation resulted in a polydisperse embolic mixture averaging 0.151 ± 0.61 mm² (interquartile range: 0.006-0.022 mm²) in size. Product dilution had a profound effect on embolic behavior, with a significant reduction in average particle size (0.018 ± 0.03 mm²; interquartile range: 0.005-0.018 mm²; P ConclusionsEmbolized CaHA-CMC gels produce polydisperse particle mixtures with a preponderance of microparticles. Hyperdilution profoundly reduced the proximally occlusive potential of the product.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39969285 · DOI · PMC12209786
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 Modeling of drug release from delivery systems based on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) [5]
- Research article Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate-based spray-dried dispersions: an overview [6]
- Research article Carboxymethyl cellulose-based materials for infection control and wound healing: A review [7]
- Research article The use of hypromellose in oral drug delivery [8]
- Research article Poly(I:C) as cancer vaccine adjuvant: knocking on the door of medical breakthroughs [9]
- Research article Carboxymethyl cellulose-based oral delivery systems [10]
References
- Zhu X, Nishimura F, Sasaki K, Fujita M, Dusak JE, Eguchi J, et al.. Toll like receptor-3 ligand poly-ICLC promotes the efficacy of peripheral vaccinations with tumor antigen-derived peptide epitopes in murine CNS tumor models. . 2007. PMID 17295916 · DOI · PMC1802742
- Cochis A, Grad S, Stoddart MJ, Farè S, Altomare L, Azzimonti B, et al.. Bioreactor mechanically guided 3D mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis using a biocompatible novel thermo-reversible methylcellulose-based hydrogel. . 2017. PMID 28332587 · DOI · PMC5362895
- Johnsen HR, Krause K. Cellulase activity screening using pure carboxymethylcellulose: application to soluble cellulolytic samples and to plant tissue prints. . 2014. PMID 24413752 · DOI · PMC3907841
- Soares DJ, Fedorova J, Zhang Y, Chandawarkar A, Bowhay A, Blevins L, et al.. Arterioembolic Characteristics of Differentially Diluted CaHA-CMC Gels Within An Artificial Macrovascular Perfusion Model. . 2025. PMID 39969285 · DOI · PMC12209786
- Siepmann J, Peppas NA. Modeling of drug release from delivery systems based on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2001. PMID 11369079 · DOI
- Friesen DT, Shanker R, Crew M, Smithey DT, Curatolo WJ, Nightingale JA. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate-based spray-dried dispersions: an overview. Mol Pharm. 2008. PMID 19040386 · DOI
- Kanikireddy V, Varaprasad K, Jayaramudu T, Karthikeyan C, Sadiku R. Carboxymethyl cellulose-based materials for infection control and wound healing: A review. Int J Biol Macromol. 2020. PMID 32707282 · DOI
- Li CL, Martini LG, Ford JL, Roberts M. The use of hypromellose in oral drug delivery. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2005. PMID 15901342 · DOI
- Ammi R, De Waele J, Willemen Y, Van Brussel I, Schrijvers DM, Lion E, et al.. Poly(I:C) as cancer vaccine adjuvant: knocking on the door of medical breakthroughs. Pharmacol Ther. 2015. PMID 25281915 · DOI
- Javanbakht S, Shaabani A. Carboxymethyl cellulose-based oral delivery systems. Int J Biol Macromol. 2019. PMID 30986470 · 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.