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 (685 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
An N-acyl derivative of neuraminic acid. N-acetylneuraminic acid occurs in many polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids in animals and bacteria. (From Dorland, 28th ed, p1518)
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: Acid, N-Acetylneuraminic; N Acetylneuraminic Acid; Sialic Acid; Acid, Sialic.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Sialic Acids
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 7,307 records tagged with the MeSH heading “N-Acetylneuraminic Acid” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 1,226 of them (16.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 2,461 records.
Reviews account for 473 records (6.5%) and meta-analyses for 3. Randomized controlled trials number 26 (0.4%) 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 | 2,461 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,751 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,869 |
| 2020 onward | 1,226 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 473 | 6.5% |
| Meta-analyses | 3 | 0.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 26 | 0.4% |
Method: PubMed query "N-Acetylneuraminic Acid"[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.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sialic acid catabolism drives intestinal inflammation and microbial dysbiosis in mice | 2015 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 208 | cc by PMID 26303108 · DOI · PMC4560832 |
| Sialylation is involved in cell fate decision during development, reprogramming and cancer progression | 2019 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 168 | cc by PMID 30478534 · DOI · PMC6626595 |
| Sialic Acid and Sialylated Oligosaccharide Supplementation during Lactation Improves Learning and Memory in Rats | 2018 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 101 | cc by PMID 30332832 · DOI · PMC6212975 |
| Unnatural Triggers Converted From Tetrazine-Attached Sialic Acid for Activation of Optoacoustic Imaging-Guided Cancer Theranostics | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 6 | cc by PMID 40257825 · DOI · PMC12184287 |
Sialic acid catabolism drives intestinal inflammation and microbial dysbiosis in mice [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Rapid shifts in microbial composition frequently occur during intestinal inflammation, but the mechanisms underlying such changes remain elusive.
- Closing excerpt
- coli dysbiosis.
- 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 (152 words)
Rapid shifts in microbial composition frequently occur during intestinal inflammation, but the mechanisms underlying such changes remain elusive. Here we demonstrate that an increased caecal sialidase activity is critical in conferring a growth advantage for some bacteria including Escherichia coli (E. coli) during intestinal inflammation in mice. This sialidase activity originates among others from Bacteroides vulgatus, whose intestinal levels expand after dextran sulphate sodium administration. Increased sialidase activity mediates the release of sialic acid from intestinal tissue, which promotes the outgrowth of E. coli during inflammation. The outburst of E. coli likely exacerbates the inflammatory response by stimulating the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by intestinal dendritic cells. Oral administration of a sialidase inhibitor and low levels of intestinal α2,3-linked sialic acid decrease E. coli outgrowth and the severity of colitis in mice. Regulation of sialic acid catabolism opens new perspectives for the treatment of intestinal inflammation as manifested by E. coli dysbiosis.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 26303108 · DOI · PMC4560832
Sialylation is involved in cell fate decision during development, reprogramming and cancer progression [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Sialylation, or the covalent addition of sialic acid to the terminal end of glycoproteins, is a biologically important modification that is involved in embryonic development, neurodevelopment, reprogramming, oncogenesis and immune responses.
- Closing excerpt
- Taken together, the current evidences demonstrate that sialylation is involved in crucial cell fate decision.
- 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 (136 words)
Sialylation, or the covalent addition of sialic acid to the terminal end of glycoproteins, is a biologically important modification that is involved in embryonic development, neurodevelopment, reprogramming, oncogenesis and immune responses. In this review, we have given a comprehensive overview of the current literature on the involvement of sialylation in cell fate decision during development, reprogramming and cancer progression. Sialylation is essential for early embryonic development and the deletion of UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase, a rate-limiting enzyme in sialic acid biosynthesis, is embryonically lethal. Furthermore, the sialyltransferase ST6GAL1 is required for somatic cell reprogramming, and its downregulation is associated with decreased reprogramming efficiency. In addition, sialylation levels and patterns are altered during cancer progression, indicating the potential of sialylated molecules as cancer biomarkers. Taken together, the current evidences demonstrate that sialylation is involved in crucial cell fate decision.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 30478534 · DOI · PMC6626595
Sialic Acid and Sialylated Oligosaccharide Supplementation during Lactation Improves Learning and Memory in Rats [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Sialic acids (Sia) are postulated to improve cognitive abilities.
- Closing excerpt
- Providing Sia during lactation, especially as 6'-SL, improves memory and LTP in adult rats.
- 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)
Sialic acids (Sia) are postulated to improve cognitive abilities. This study evaluated Sia effects on rat behavior when administered in a free form as N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) or conjugated as 6'-sialyllactose (6'-SL). Rat milk contains Sia, which peaks at Postnatal Day 9 and drops to a minimum by Day 15. To bypass this Sia peak, a cohort of foster mothers was used to raise the experimental pups. A group of pups received a daily oral supplementation of Neu5Ac to mimic the amount naturally present in rat milk, and another group received the same molar amount of Sia as 6'-SL. The control group received water. After weaning, rats were submitted to behavioral evaluation. One year later, behavior was re-evaluated, and in vivo long-term potentiation (LTP) was performed. Brain samples were collected and analyzed at both ages. Adult rats who received Sia performed significantly better in the behavioral assessment and showed an enhanced LTP compared to controls. Within Sia groups, 6'-SL rats showed better scores in some cognitive outcomes compared to Neu5Ac rats. At weaning, an effect on polysialylated-neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) levels in the frontal cortex was only observed in 6'-SL fed rats. Providing Sia during lactation, especially as 6'-SL, improves memory and LTP in adult rats.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 30332832 · DOI · PMC6212975
Unnatural Triggers Converted From Tetrazine-Attached Sialic Acid for Activation of Optoacoustic Imaging-Guided Cancer Theranostics [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Constructing chemical groups on cell membranes through metabolic glycoengineering of unnatural sugars is an effective means to solve the issue of insufficient or even lack of targets in cancer theranostics.
- Closing excerpt
- Tetrazine trigger-activated CyTCO displays high photo-to-heat conversion efficiency, which can cause an obvious increase in temperature under laser irradiation and then initiate AIPH decomposition to produce toxic radicals for combined therapy.
- 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 (190 words)
Constructing chemical groups on cell membranes through metabolic glycoengineering of unnatural sugars is an effective means to solve the issue of insufficient or even lack of targets in cancer theranostics. Herein, we address the limitations by developing a tetrazine precursor (SiaTz) based on a nonO-acetylated sialic acid scaffold and then utilizing it to create unnatural tetrazine triggers on the surface of cancer cells. SiaTz exhibits a good balance between the stability and reaction kinetics under physiological conditions and can be efficiently converted into corresponding tetrazine trigger through bypassing several size-limiting steps in metabolic glycoengineering process. We also prepare a proof-of-concept theranostic combination of a trans-cyclooctene derivative (CyTCO) and a thermal-sensitive drug 2,2'-azobis[2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl) propane]-dihydrochloride (AIPH) to verify the activation function of tetrazine triggers in theranostics of orthotopic and metastatic tumors. In the presence of tetrazine triggers, CyTCO can be activated via bio-orthogonal reaction to induce optoacoustic signal enhancement, enabling high-contrast diagnostic imaging and precise tumor localization to guide subsequent treatments. Tetrazine trigger-activated CyTCO displays high photo-to-heat conversion efficiency, which can cause an obvious increase in temperature under laser irradiation and then initiate AIPH decomposition to produce toxic radicals for combined therapy.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40257825 · DOI · PMC12184287
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 Glycan-based interactions involving vertebrate sialic-acid-recognizing proteins [5]
- Research article Diversity of microbial sialic acid metabolism [6]
- Research article Sialic acid utilization by bacterial pathogens [7]
- Research article The sweet spot: defining virus-sialic acid interactions [8]
- Research article Sialic acids in molecular and cellular interactions [9]
- Research article Sialic acid is an essential nutrient for brain development and cognition [10]
References
- Huang YL, Chassard C, Hausmann M, von Itzstein M, Hennet T. Sialic acid catabolism drives intestinal inflammation and microbial dysbiosis in mice. . 2015. PMID 26303108 · DOI · PMC4560832
- Li F, Ding J. Sialylation is involved in cell fate decision during development, reprogramming and cancer progression. . 2019. PMID 30478534 · DOI · PMC6626595
- Oliveros E, Vázquez E, Barranco A, Ramírez M, Gruart A, Delgado-García JM, et al.. Sialic Acid and Sialylated Oligosaccharide Supplementation during Lactation Improves Learning and Memory in Rats. . 2018. PMID 30332832 · DOI · PMC6212975
- Wu Y, Sun L, Zhang X, Zhong W, Chen X, Wang S, et al.. Unnatural Triggers Converted From Tetrazine-Attached Sialic Acid for Activation of Optoacoustic Imaging-Guided Cancer Theranostics. . 2025. PMID 40257825 · DOI · PMC12184287
- Varki A. Glycan-based interactions involving vertebrate sialic-acid-recognizing proteins. Nature. 2007. PMID 17460663 · DOI
- Vimr ER, Kalivoda KA, Deszo EL, Steenbergen SM. Diversity of microbial sialic acid metabolism. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2004. PMID 15007099 · DOI · PMC362108
- Severi E, Hood DW, Thomas GH. Sialic acid utilization by bacterial pathogens. Microbiology (Reading). 2007. PMID 17768226 · DOI
- Stencel-Baerenwald JE, Reiss K, Reiter DM, Stehle T, Dermody TS. The sweet spot: defining virus-sialic acid interactions. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2014. PMID 25263223 · DOI · PMC4791167
- Kelm S, Schauer R. Sialic acids in molecular and cellular interactions. Int Rev Cytol. 1997. PMID 9203358 · DOI · PMC7133163
- Wang B. Sialic acid is an essential nutrient for brain development and cognition. Annu Rev Nutr. 2009. PMID 19575597 · 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.