What is it about?
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a well-known medicine that is currently used for acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdose and to break down thick mucus in the lungs. In recent years, researchers have investigated whether NAC could also help treat many other health conditions because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other biological effects. This study reviewed and mapped evidence from 140 published reviews covering 17 different clinical areas. Among the strongest types of evidence, about half of them supported the use of NAC for conditions beyond its traditional indications. The findings suggest that NAC shows promise in several fields, including mental health, reproductive medicine, kidney disease, lung disease, and toxicology. However, the quality of the available reviews varied considerably, and many reviews examined the same studies, creating overlap and potential research waste. Overall, NAC appears to have broad therapeutic potential, but stronger and higher-quality research is needed before it can be routinely recommended in clinical guidelines for many of these conditions.
Featured Image
Photo by Shawn Day on Unsplash
Why is it important?
NAC is an inexpensive, safe, widely available medicine with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Although many reviews suggest it may have benefits beyond its traditional uses, clinicians still lack a clear picture of where the evidence is strongest. By mapping 140 reviews across 17 clinical areas, this study helps identify the most promising opportunities for NAC repurposing and highlights important research gaps that must be addressed before broader clinical use can be recommended.
Perspectives
What surprised us was the sheer breadth of research exploring its use across many other diseases. Our review suggests that the field may have reached a point where the key challenge is no longer discovering new potential applications, but critically evaluating which indications are ready for clinical translation. We hope this evidence map helps researchers, clinicians, and policymakers focus future efforts on the areas with the greatest potential benefit.
Mohammed Al‐Alaili
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Repurposing landscape of N-acetylcysteine: A scoping review of reviews toward clinical translation, PLOS One, October 2026, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0360434.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
