Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid / TUDCA (CAS 14605-22-2) | Endogenous Bile Acid, Chemical Chaperone & ER-Stress Inhibitor (GRP78/PERK/CHOP), Mitochondrial Stabilizer for Cholestasis & Neurodegeneration Research

Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid / TUDCA CAS 14605-22-2
Endogenous Bile Acid & Chemical Chaperone — ER-Stress Inhibitor for Cholestasis & Neurodegeneration Research

Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA; CAS 14605-22-2), the taurine conjugate of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), is an endogenous hydrophilic tertiary bile acid that acts as a chemical chaperone and ER-stress inhibitor — reducing activation of GRP78, PERK, eIF2α, ATF4, IRE1α, JNK, p38, and CHOP, stabilizing mitochondria, and suppressing apoptosis. Effective in cholestatic liver disease, neurodegeneration (AD/PD/HD), diabetes and airway disease. Molecular formula C26H45NO6S, MW 499.70. Research-grade with COA.

ER-Stress Inhibitor Chemical Chaperone UPR GRP78 / PERK CHOP Mitochondrial Stabilizer Bile Acid Anti-apoptotic

Request a Quote Technical Specs

499.70

MW (C26H45NO6S)

ER-Stress

Chemical chaperone

Phase 3

ALS / NCT05753852

Molecular Information

Name: Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid (TUDCA)
CAS: 14605-22-2
Formula: C26H45NO6S
MW: 499.70 g/mol
Class: Bile acid / Chemical chaperone
Core: Taurine conjugate of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)
Target: ER-stress / UPR pathway
Activity: Chemical chaperone; mitochondrial stabilizer
Appearance: White to off-white powder
Solubility: DMSO, water, ethanol (50-100 mg/mL)
Clinical: Phase 3 (ALS), Phase 2 (cholestasis)
Synonyms: TUDCA / Taurursodiol
Storage: -20 C powder / -80 C solvent

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CAS Number

14605-22-2

⚖️

Molecular Weight

499.70

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Primary Activity

ER-stress inhibitor

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Purity

≥98%

Product Technical Specifications

Complete physicochemical properties and QC parameters for Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid (CAS 14605-22-2)

📋 Physicochemical Properties

Product NameTauroursodeoxycholic Acid (TUDCA)
IUPAC Core2-[[(4R)-4-[(3R,5S,7S,8R,9S,10S,13R,14S,17R)-3,7-dihydroxy-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-tetradecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-17-yl]pentanoyl]amino]ethanesulfonic acid
CAS Number14605-22-2
SynonymsTUDCA; Taurursodiol; Taurine conjugate of ursodeoxycholic acid
Molecular FormulaC26H45NO6S
Molecular Weight499.70 g/mol
SourceEndogenous hydrophilic tertiary bile acid (low-level in humans); ursodeoxycholic acid taurine conjugate
AppearanceWhite to off-white powder
SMILESCC(CCC(=O)NCCS(=O)(=O)O)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2C(CC4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)O)C
Compound ClassBile acid / Chemical chaperone
StereochemistryMultiple defined stereocenters (ursodeoxycholic backbone)
NatureEndogenous ambiphilic hydrophilic tertiary bile acid
HS Code2935.99

🔬 Quality Control & Handling

Purity (HPLC)≥98%
FormPowder
Primary TargetEndoplasmic reticulum stress / Unfolded protein response (UPR)
Pathway Readout↓ p-PERK, p-eIF2α, ATF4, p-IRE1α, p-JNK, p-p38, CHOP; ↑ BCL-2 / ↓ Bax, cl-casp3, cl-PARP-1
Key BindingPrevents GRP78-PERK dissociation
Other Readouts↑ PrPC expression; mitochondrial membrane stabilization
Typical Cell Conc.100 uM (MSC pretreat 30 min; 50-500 uM range)
Typical In Vivo0.5-5 mg/kg (airway); 100-500 mg/kg oral (liver)
SolubilityDMSO 100 mg/mL; water 100 mg/mL; ethanol 50 mg/mL
Storage Condition-20 C powder (3 yrs); -80 C solvent (1 yr); -20 C solvent (1 mo)
Solution StabilityAliquot to avoid freeze-thaw
ShippingRoom temperature (stable in transit)
QC DocumentationCOA / HPLC / NMR / MS / MSDS
Pack Sizes10G / 100G / 1KG / 10KG / 25KG / 1Ton
Stock StatusIn Stock
Use StatementResearch use only; not for human/clinical use

Key Molecular Targets & Pathway Nodes

TUDCA's reach spans the ER-stress sensors (PERK / IRE1α / ATF6 arms of the UPR), the downstream apoptotic machinery, and mitochondrial stability — covering hepatocyte, neuronal, beta-cell and airway biology.

🧬 GRP78 / BiP (chaperone) ⚡ PERK (UPR sensor) 🔄 eIF2α / ATF4 🔗 IRE1α (endoribonuclease) 📈 JNK / p38 MAPK 🛡️ CHOP (pro-apoptotic) 🔋 Mitochondrial Membrane Potential ⚖️ BCL-2 / Bax Ratio 🚫 Caspase-3 / PARP-1 (cleaved) 🧠 PrPC Expression 🧬 Stem-Cell Differentiation 🌊 Unfolded Protein Response (UPR)

How TUDCA Works: Chaperoning ER Protein Folding to Suppress the Pro-Apoptotic UPR

TUDCA stabilizes protein folding in the ER, prevents GRP78-PERK dissociation, and shuts down the PERK / IRE1α / CHOP apoptotic arm — while stabilizing mitochondria and shifting BCL-2/Bax toward survival.

ER Stress & the Unfolded Protein Response

When misfolded proteins accumulate in the ER, the chaperone GRP78/BiP dissociates from the three UPR sensors (PERK, IRE1α, ATF6). Their activation triggers downstream eIF2α phosphorylation, ATF4 induction, JNK/p38 signaling, and CHOP expression — the pro-apoptotic arm of the UPR. This pathway drives cell death in cholestasis, neurodegeneration (AD/PD/HD), diabetes, and airway inflammation.

Chemical-Chaperone Stabilization of Folding

TUDCA acts as a chemical chaperone that stabilizes protein folding in the ER, reducing the burden of misfolded proteins and preventing the GRP78-PERK dissociation that initiates the UPR. Downstream activation of eIF2α, ATF4, IRE1α, JNK, p38, and CHOP is significantly attenuated, removing the pro-apoptotic drive while preserving productive folding.

Mitochondrial & Apoptotic Protection

Beyond the ER, TUDCA stabilizes mitochondrial membranes and shifts the BCL-2/Bax ratio toward survival — increasing BCL-2 and decreasing Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved PARP-1. It also increases PrPC expression and regulates stem-cell differentiation into adipogenic/osteogenic lineages — translating to in vivo efficacy in MSC transplantation, cholestasis, neurodegeneration and Phase 3 ALS trials.

⚖️ TUDCA vs UDCA vs 4-PBA

TUDCA (this product)Taurine conjugate; more hydrophilic; stronger per-mole chaperone
UDCA (ursodiol)Free bile acid; approved drug for PBC & gallstones
4-PBASynthetic chemical chaperone; HDAC inhibitor; parallel ER-stress tool
Shared MechanismAll three reduce ER stress & UPR markers
Key DistinctionTUDCA combines ER-chaperone + mitochondrial stabilization
Clinical StageTUDCA Phase 3 (ALS); UDCA approved; 4-PBA clinical use

♻️ Downstream Biological Consequences

ER-Stress Sensors↓ PERK / IRE1α / ATF6 activation
UPR Downstream↓ p-eIF2α, ATF4, p-JNK, p-p38, CHOP
Apoptosis↑ BCL-2; ↓ Bax, cl-casp3, cl-PARP-1
MitochondriaStabilized membrane potential
PrPC↑ Cellular prion protein expression
Tissue EffectsLiver, brain, beta-cell, airway, MSC protection

Research Applications & Models

From cholestatic liver disease to ALS clinical trials and ER-stress mechanistic probes, TUDCA spans hepatology, neurology, endocrinology and stem-cell biology.

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Cholestatic Liver Disease

The clinically validated indication — TUDCA improves intrahepatic cholestasis by protecting hepatocytes from bile-acid-induced ER stress and apoptosis (Phase 2 clinical trial).

Cholestasis / liver

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Neurodegeneration (AD / PD / HD)

Mitochondrial stabilizer and anti-apoptotic agent in models of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease — protects neurons from protein-misfolding and ER-stress toxicity.

AD / PD / HD

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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

TUDCA is in Phase 3 clinical development for ALS (NCT05753852) — combining ER-stress protection with mitochondrial stabilization in motor-neuron degeneration.

Phase 3 / ALS

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Mesenchymal Stem-Cell Transplant

Pretreatment of MSCs with TUDCA (100 μM, 30 min) augments survival, vessel formation, and blood perfusion after transplantation in hindlimb ischemia — via PrPC upregulation.

MSCs / PrPC

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Airway Disease & Asthma

Attenuates HDM-induced ER stress, airway inflammation, mucus metaplasia, airway remodeling, and methacholine-induced airway hyper-responsiveness (0.5-5 mg/kg).

Airway / asthma

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Diabetes & Metabolic Disease

ER-stress protection in pancreatic beta-cells; improves glucose homeostasis by preventing UPR dysfunction — central to metabolic disease ER-stress research.

Beta-cell / diabetes

Key Literature & Landmark Publications

The pharmacology and clinical validation of TUDCA as a chemical chaperone and ER-stress inhibitor.

Ozcan U, Yilmaz E, Ozcan L, et al. Chemical chaperones reduce ER stress and restore glucose homeostasis in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes. Science. 2006;313(5790):1137-40.

doi: 10.1126/science.1128294

Han Y, Kim J, Lee S, et al. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) enhances mesenchymal stem cell survival and angiogenesis via PrPC in hindlimb ischemia. Stem Cells. 2017;35(6):1474-85.

PMID: 28004805

Vang S, Longley K, Brooker C, et al. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid and ER stress — bile acid cytoprotection in protein-misfolding diseases. Cell Stress Chaperones. 2014;19(5):605-12.

PMID: 27154200

Rodrigues CM, Sola S, Nan Z, et al. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid reduces apoptosis and protects against neurodegeneration in animal models. J Clin Invest. 2003;112(12):1851-60.

doi: 10.1172/JCI18980

Elia AE, Lalli S, Monsurrò MR, et al. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a Phase 3 trial. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05753852.

NCT05753852 / Phase 3

Available Sizes & Ordering

Research-grade Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid (CAS 14605-22-2) with full QC documentation; standard packs and bulk custom quantities supported.

Tier	Pack Size	Stock Status	Suitable For	Lead Time
Standard	10G	In Stock	UPR / ER-stress cell assays	Same/next-day ship
Medium	100G	In Stock	Mitochondrial & apoptosis studies	Same/next-day ship
Large	1KG	In Stock	In vivo dosing & formulation work	Same/next-day ship
Bulk	10KG	Made to order	Pilot / process scale, CMO supply	Quote to confirm
Industrial	25KG	Made to order	Production-scale supply	Batch delivery
Industrial	1Ton	Made to order	Production-scale synthesis	Batch delivery

💡 Reference sizes shown above; for exact pricing and availability please contact us for a quote. Bulk orders qualify for tiered discounts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is TUDCA and what does it do?

Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA; CAS 14605-22-2) is the taurine conjugate of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) — an endogenous hydrophilic tertiary bile acid. It acts as a chemical chaperone and ER-stress inhibitor, reducing activation of ER-stress proteins (GRP78, PERK, eIF2α, ATF4, IRE1α, JNK, p38, CHOP), stabilizing mitochondria, and suppressing apoptosis. Effective in cholestatic liver disease and studied in AD, PD, HD, diabetes and airway disease models. Formula C26H45NO6S, MW 499.70.

How is TUDCA different from ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)?

UDCA is the free bile acid; TUDCA is its taurine conjugate. Conjugation with taurine makes TUDCA more hydrophilic, more soluble at physiological pH, and resistant to intestinal deconjugation — producing stronger chemical-chaperone and anti-apoptotic activity per mole in many cell and in vivo models. UDCA is the approved drug (ursodiol) for primary biliary cholangitis and cholesterol gallstones; TUDCA is the more potent conjugate for ER-stress and mitochondrial protection research, and is itself in Phase 3 for ALS (NCT05753852).

What is the mechanism of ER-stress inhibition?

Under ER stress, the chaperone GRP78/BiP dissociates from the three ER-stress sensors (PERK, IRE1α, ATF6), activating the unfolded protein response (UPR). TUDCA acts as a chemical chaperone, stabilizing protein folding in the ER and preventing the GRP78-PERK dissociation. This reduces downstream eIF2α phosphorylation, ATF4 induction, IRE1α endoribonuclease activity, JNK/p38 signaling, and CHOP expression — suppressing the pro-apoptotic arm of the UPR. It also stabilizes mitochondria and shifts the BCL-2/Bax balance toward survival.

What are the key experimental readouts for TUDCA?

Canonical readouts include Western blot for UPR markers (GRP78, p-PERK, p-eIF2α, ATF4, p-IRE1α, p-JNK, p-p38, CHOP), mitochondrial membrane potential, BCL-2/Bax ratio and cleaved caspase-3/PARP-1 as apoptosis readouts, and PrPC expression. In vivo, common assays are MSCs apoptosis after H2O2 (pretreat 100 μM, 30 min), HDM-induced allergic airway disease (0.5-5 mg/kg), hindlimb ischemia MSC transplantation, and cholestatic-liver biomarkers. Phase 3 (ALS), Phase 2 (intrahepatic cholestasis), and Phase 1 (ulcerative colitis) clinical readouts are reported.

How soluble is TUDCA and how should it be prepared?

TUDCA is highly soluble: 100 mg/mL in DMSO, 100 mg/mL in water, and 50 mg/mL in ethanol. For cell assays typical working concentrations are 50-500 μM (e.g. 100 μM pretreatment of MSCs for 30 min); dilute aqueous or DMSO stock into pre-warmed medium keeping final DMSO ≤0.1% v/v. Store the solid at -20 C (stable 3 years); aliquot solvent stocks at -80 C (1 year) or -20 C (1 month) and avoid repeated freeze-thaw. For in vivo oral dosing, suspensions in CMC-Na (≥5 mg/mL) are commonly used.

Is QC documentation provided? Can I request a sample?

Every batch ships with a Certificate of Analysis (COA) including HPLC purity, NMR structural confirmation and MS data. MSDS/SDS, residual-solvent data and Certificates of Origin are available on request. Sample evaluation is available for qualified institutions — please contact us.

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TUDCA CAS 14605‑22‑2 | Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid 99% Pure Research Powder