Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40345307›Full record

ArticleActa biomaterialia2025

Effects of PDMS culture on stem cell differentiation towards definitive endoderm and hepatocytes.

Christopher T Clark, Yao Wang, Devin C Johnson, Seohyun C Lee, Quinton Smith

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Acta biomaterialia, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Christopher T ClarkDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA; Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA.
Yao WangDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA; Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA.
Devin C JohnsonDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA.
Seohyun C LeeDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA.
Quinton SmithDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA; Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA. Electronic address: quintons@uci.edu.

Funding

Physicochemical control of multilineage emergenceR35GM151099 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI Quinton Smith · 2023 to 2026
$1.5M
NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM151099
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The generation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derivatives for regenerative medicine applications holds tremendous promise in treating various disorders. One critical target includes liver disease, in which the primary curative treatment is a cellular transplant aimed to restore the lost function of hepatocytes. In an effort to improve the differentiation of hiPSC-derived liver tissue, we manipulated the mechanical conditions of endoderm specification through directed perturbation of the cytoskeleton and through 2D substrate culture on viscoelastic materials. Through a combination of qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence staining, and functional assays, we found that mechanical cues can bias endoderm specification in an actomyosin and Yes-associated protein (YAP) dependent manner, unveiling new insights into mechanotransduction in germ layer specification and downstream maturation toward parenchymal cells. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The translational potential of using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived hepatocytes to therapeutically improve impaired liver function holds great clinical promise. However, challenges remain in efficiently differentiating functional hepatocytes with mature marker expression. In an effort to improve the differentiation efficiency of hepatocytes, the role of early mechanosensing mechanisms was investigated in the specification of hiPSCs to definitive endoderm progenitor populations. Through a combination of cytoskeletal modulation, control of mechanoresponsive, yes-associated protein expression, and culture on physiologically compliant PDMS substrates, we found that soft environments not only improve progenitor specification but also impact the downstream functionality of differentiated hepatocytes. These results contribute to the collective appreciation that mechanical cues are critical in developmental processes.

Indexed as

Cell Culture TechniquesCell DifferentiationDimethylpolysiloxanesEndodermHepatocytesInduced Pluripotent Stem CellsHumansMechanotransduction, CellularbaysilonDimethylpolysiloxanesInduced pluripotent stem cellsLiver tissue engineeringMechanosensingPDMSSubstrate stiffness

Identifiers

PMID40345307
PMCPMC13356604

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.