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: 3 complete abstracts (686 words), 9 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
Closely congeneric derivatives of the polycyclic naphthacenecarboxamide. (Gilman et al., Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed, p1117)
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
- Naphthacenes
- Narrower topics
- Chlortetracycline; Demeclocycline; Doxycycline; Lymecycline; Methacycline; Minocycline; Oxytetracycline; Rolitetracycline; Tetracycline; Tigecycline
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 57,322 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Tetracyclines” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 9,178 of them (16.0%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 29,143 records.
Reviews account for 3,302 records (5.8%) and meta-analyses for 267. Randomized controlled trials number 1,957 (3.4%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 29,143 |
| 2000-2009 | 8,183 |
| 2010-2019 | 10,818 |
| 2020 onward | 9,178 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 3,302 | 5.8% |
| Meta-analyses | 267 | 0.5% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 1,957 | 3.4% |
Method: PubMed query "Tetracyclines"[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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doxycycline Postexposure Prophylaxis and Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Individuals Using HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 43 | cc by PMID 39761062 · DOI · PMC11877173 |
| The tetracycline resistome is shaped by selection for specific resistance mechanisms by each antibiotic generation | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 33 | cc by PMID 39920134 · DOI · PMC11806011 |
| Synthesis of Lignin-Derived Hierarchical Porous Carbon via Hydrothermal-Phosphoric Acid Synergistic Activation for Enhanced Adsorption of Tetracycline | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 17 | cc by PMID 41683422 · DOI · PMC12899767 |
Doxycycline Postexposure Prophylaxis and Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Individuals Using HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ImportanceDoxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) has been shown to decrease the incidence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people assigned male sex at birth in clinical trials, but data from clinical practice are limited.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings suggest that doxyPEP may offer substantial benefits for reducing population-level STI transmission with broader implementation.
- 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 (336 words)
ImportanceDoxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) has been shown to decrease the incidence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people assigned male sex at birth in clinical trials, but data from clinical practice are limited.ObjectiveTo describe early uptake of doxyPEP and evaluate changes in STI incidence following doxyPEP initiation.Design, setting, and participantsThis retrospective cohort study of adults (aged ≥18 years) dispensed HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at Kaiser Permanente Northern California during November 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023, examined electronic health record data to compare HIV PrEP users dispensed and not dispensed doxyPEP and rates of bacterial STIs before and after starting doxyPEP. Individuals were followed up from their first recorded STI test on or after November 1, 2020, until December 31, 2023, or discontinuation of health plan membership.ExposurePharmacy dispensing data were used to define doxyPEP recipients.Main outcomes and measuresDemographic and clinical characteristics were compared between individuals dispensed and not dispensed doxyPEP. Primary outcomes were incident chlamydia, gonorrhea, or infectious syphilis measured as quarterly STI positivity (proportion of individuals testing positive at least once per quarter). Among doxyPEP recipients, rate ratios (RRs) compared mean quarterly STI positivity from 24 months before to 12 months after starting doxyPEP. In an exploratory analysis, STI trends were evaluated for the full cohort, stratified by receipt of doxyPEP.ResultsAmong 11 551 HIV PrEP users (mean [SD] age, 39.9 [12.1] years; 95.1% male), 2253 (19.5%) were dispensed doxyPEP, of whom 2228 (98.9%) were male and 1096 (48.6%) had an STI in the year before starting doxyPEP. Compared with individuals not dispensed doxyPEP, doxyPEP recipients were older (mean [SD] age, 40.4 [10.8] vs 39.8 [12.4] years; P = .04) and had used HIV PrEP longer (mean [SD], 4.2 [2.8] vs 3.4 [2.6] years; P Conclusions and relevanceThis study found that receipt of doxyPEP was associated with substantial declines in chlamydia and syphilis incidence and modest declines in urethral and rectal gonorrhea incidence among individuals using HIV PrEP. These findings suggest that doxyPEP may offer substantial benefits for reducing population-level STI transmission with broader implementation.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39761062 · DOI · PMC11877173
The tetracycline resistome is shaped by selection for specific resistance mechanisms by each antibiotic generation [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The history of clinical resistance to tetracycline antibiotics is characterized by cycles whereby the deployment of a new generation of drug molecules is quickly followed by the discovery of a new mechanism of resistance.
- Closing excerpt
- These patterns match the history of clinical deployment of tetracycline drugs and resistance discovery in pathogens.
- 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 (158 words)
The history of clinical resistance to tetracycline antibiotics is characterized by cycles whereby the deployment of a new generation of drug molecules is quickly followed by the discovery of a new mechanism of resistance. This suggests mechanism-specific selection by each tetracycline generation; however, the evolutionary dynamics of this remain unclear. Here, we evaluate 24 recombinant Escherichia coli strains expressing tetracycline resistance genes from each mechanism (efflux pumps, ribosomal protection proteins, and enzymatic inactivation) in the context of each tetracycline generation. We employ a high-throughput barcode sequencing protocol that can discriminate between strains in mixed culture and quantify their relative abundances. We find that each mechanism is preferentially selected for by specific antibiotic generations, leading to their expansion. Remarkably, the minimum inhibitory concentration associated with individual genes is secondary to resistance mechanism for inter-mechanism relative fitness, but it does explain intra-mechanism relative fitness. These patterns match the history of clinical deployment of tetracycline drugs and resistance discovery in pathogens.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39920134 · DOI · PMC11806011
Synthesis of Lignin-Derived Hierarchical Porous Carbon via Hydrothermal-Phosphoric Acid Synergistic Activation for Enhanced Adsorption of Tetracycline [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Tetracycline is a low-cost broad-spectrum antibiotic and widely used in medicine and aquaculture.
- Closing excerpt
- This work proposes a feasible strategy to convert waste biomass into high-performance and environmentally friendly adsorbents, which provides technical feasibility for sustainable water purification technologies.
- 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 (192 words)
Tetracycline is a low-cost broad-spectrum antibiotic and widely used in medicine and aquaculture. Its residues are usually released into the environment through wastewater, which may lead to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and pose ecological risks. To address this environmental issue, a hierarchical lignin-derived porous carbon (LPHC) was synthesized using renewable biomass lignin as the precursor through a combined phosphoric acid-activated hydrothermal pretreatment. The resulting LPHC was used to effectively remove tetracycline from aqueous solutions. Characterization results indicated that LPHC had a high specific surface area (1157.25 m2·g-1), a well-developed micro-mesoporous structure, and abundant surface oxygen-containing functional groups, which enhanced its interaction with target pollutants. Adsorption experiments showed that LPHC exhibited excellent adsorption performance for tetracycline, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 219.81 mg·g-1. The adsorption process conformed to the Langmuir isotherm model, indicating that monolayer chemical adsorption was dominant. Mechanism analysis further confirmed that the adsorption process was controlled by multiple synergistic interactions, including pore filling, π-π electron donor-acceptor interactions, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic attraction. This work proposes a feasible strategy to convert waste biomass into high-performance and environmentally friendly adsorbents, which provides technical feasibility for sustainable water purification technologies.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41683422 · DOI · PMC12899767
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 Tetracycline Antibiotics and Resistance [4]
- Research article Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris [5]
- Research article The history of the tetracyclines [6]
- Research article Neuroinflammation in intracerebral haemorrhage: immunotherapies with potential for translation [7]
- Research article Efficacy and safety of tigecycline: a systematic review and meta-analysis [8]
- Research article CDC Clinical Guidelines on the Use of Doxycycline Postexposure Prophylaxis for Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention, United States, 2024 [9]
References
- Traeger MW, Leyden WA, Volk JE, Silverberg MJ, Horberg MA, Davis TL, et al.. Doxycycline Postexposure Prophylaxis and Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Individuals Using HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis. . 2025. PMID 39761062 · DOI · PMC11877173
- Blake KS, Xue YP, Gillespie VJ, Fishbein SRS, Tolia NH, Wencewicz TA, et al.. The tetracycline resistome is shaped by selection for specific resistance mechanisms by each antibiotic generation. . 2025. PMID 39920134 · DOI · PMC11806011
- Li X, Li Y, Li Y, Zhang M, Zhu J. Synthesis of Lignin-Derived Hierarchical Porous Carbon via Hydrothermal-Phosphoric Acid Synergistic Activation for Enhanced Adsorption of Tetracycline. . 2026. PMID 41683422 · DOI · PMC12899767
- Grossman TH. Tetracycline Antibiotics and Resistance. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2016. PMID 26989065 · DOI · PMC4817740
- Reynolds RV, Yeung H, Cheng CE, Cook-Bolden F, Desai SR, Druby KM, et al.. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024. PMID 38300170 · DOI
- Nelson ML, Levy SB. The history of the tetracyclines. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2011. PMID 22191524 · DOI
- Xue M, Yong VW. Neuroinflammation in intracerebral haemorrhage: immunotherapies with potential for translation. Lancet Neurol. 2020. PMID 33212054 · DOI
- Yahav D, Lador A, Paul M, Leibovici L. Efficacy and safety of tigecycline: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2011. PMID 21685488 · DOI
- Bachmann LH, Barbee LA, Chan P, Reno H, Workowski KA, Hoover K, et al.. CDC Clinical Guidelines on the Use of Doxycycline Postexposure Prophylaxis for Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention, United States, 2024. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2024. PMID 38833414 · DOI · PMC11166373
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.