📌Overview

Purpose: To provide streamlined access to PubMed articles via the Entrez API for efficient research and information retrieval.

Overview: MCP Simple PubMed is a dedicated server that enables users to search, access abstracts, and download full-text articles from the PubMed database. It is optimized for use with AI applications, delivering content structured in a way that enhances AI processing and interaction.

Key Features:

• Keyword Search: Allows users to efficiently search the extensive PubMed database using relevant keywords, facilitating quick access to pertinent articles.

• Abstract Access: Provides immediate access to article abstracts, giving users a snapshot of research findings without needing full article access.

• Full Text Download: Supports the download of full texts for open access articles, formatted in XML to enhance usability for AI systems, while ensuring users can navigate around potential access limitations manually.

---

MCP Simple PubMed

An MCP server that provides access to PubMed articles through the Entrez API.

Features

• Search PubMed database using keywords
• Access article abstracts
• Download full text when available (for open access articles available directly on PubMed)

Please note the tool returns an XML-ized version of full text, which provides additional information about document structure and is more useful for AI processing.

If the tool is unable to deliver a paper's full text, it may not be due to unavailability. Sometimes access via AI tools is restricted even though browsers can access the content. If you cannot retrieve full text using this tool, try accessing it manually through a regular web browser.

This tool cannot provide access to paywalled or paid papers. Access to those may be possible through your library or other sites that make publicly funded research freely available.

Installation

Installing via Smithery

To install Simple PubMed for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install mcp-simple-pubmed --client claude

Manual Installation

pip install mcp-simple-pubmed

Configuration

The server requires the following environment variables:

• PUBMED_EMAIL: Your email address (required by NCBI)
• PUBMED_API_KEY: Optional API key for higher rate limits

The standard rate limit is 3 requests per second. If needed, you can register for an API key to get 10 requests per second. See NCBI Usage Guidelines.

Usage with Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration (claude_desktop_config.json):

Mac OS

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "simple-pubmed": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "mcp_simple_pubmed"],
      "env": {
        "PUBMED_EMAIL": "your-email@example.com",
        "PUBMED_API_KEY": "your-api-key" 
      }
    }
  }
}

Windows

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "simple-pubmed": {
      "command": "C:\\Users\\YOUR_USERNAME\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python311\\python.exe",
      "args": [
        "-m",
        "mcp_simple_pubmed"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PUBMED_EMAIL": "your-email@example.com",
        "PUBMED_API_KEY": "your-api-key" 
      }
    }
  }
}

License

MIT License