Evidence mapPaperPMID 40595290Full record

ArticleCommunications medicine2025

Reprogramming of human urine cells into cardiomyocytes via a small molecule cocktail in xeno-free conditions.

Yu Chen, Aoli Li, Aijie Liu, Wei Zheng, Haishi Fan, Jingwei Zhang, Chenwen Huang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications medicine, 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. Review
  2. Stem/progenitor cell-based therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025
    Review
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

7 authors.

Yu Chen *Department of Clinical Research Centre, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Aoli LiHou Shang Biotechnology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Aijie LiuShanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Wei ZhengDepartment of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Haishi FanShanghai Wholesomebio Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China.
Jingwei ZhangDepartment of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. jingweizhang6th@aliyun.com.
Chenwen Huang *Department of Clinical Research Centre, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. cto@wholesomebio.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-0356-3873

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 31900518
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCell therapy, particularly using cardiomyocytes, shows significant promise for treating heart failure. Direct reprogramming of somatic cells into cardiomyocytes using small molecules is advantageous due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

methodsHuman urine-derived cells (hUCs) were transdifferentiated into functional cardiomyocyte-like cells (hCiCMs) using a cocktail of 15 small molecules under xeno-free conditions. Various Characterizations were performed, including immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), qPCR, single-cell RNA sequencing, patch-clamp recordings, and intracellular Ca²

resultsReprogramming efficiency achieves 15.08% on day 30, with purity reaching 96.67% on day 60. hCiCMs display cardiomyocyte markers, sarcomeric structures, and abundant mitochondria. Electrophysiological analysis confirms ventricular-like action potentials and regular calcium transients. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals cardiomyocyte subpopulations resembling 13-week embryonic human heart cells, with gene ontology analysis indicating successful maturation. In the MI model, hCiCM transplantation improves cardiac function, increasing ejection fraction and fractional shortening while reducing fibrosis.

conclusionsThis study demonstrates the successful reprogramming of hUCs into functional hCiCMs using small molecules under xeno-free conditions, offering a scalable, autologous cell source for cardiac repair with significant potential for regenerative therapies.

Identifiers

PMID40595290
PMCPMC12216017

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.