Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41398144›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Biomimetic fractal topography enhances podocyte maturation in vitro.

Chuan Liu, Praful Aggarwal, Karl T Wagner, Shira Landau, Teng Cui, Xin Song, Laleh Shamaei, Naimeh Rafatian, Yimu Zhao, Sonia Rodriguez-Ramirez and 14 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 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

24 authors.

Chuan LiuInstitute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7309-1095
Praful AggarwalDepartment of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Karl T WagnerToronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5501-7622
Shira LandauInstitute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Teng CuiDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Xin SongDepartment of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0313-1631
Laleh ShamaeiDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Naimeh RafatianInstitute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Yimu ZhaoToronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sonia Rodriguez-RamirezDepartment of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Keith MortonBioAnalytical Micro-Nano Devices section, National Research Council Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Elizabeth VirleeDepartment of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Chen Yu LiDepartment of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-8473-3708
Dawn BannermanToronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Simon Pascual-GilToronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sargol OkhovatianInstitute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2565-7397
Anastasia RadisicInstitute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sergi Clotet-FreixasToronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Teodor VeresDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Mohtada SadrzadehDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0403-8351
Tobin FilleterDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2609-4773
Ulrich BroeckelDepartment of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Ana KonvalinkaToronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6672-355X
Milica RadisicInstitute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. m.radisic@utoronto.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1249-4135

Funding

Gouvernement du Canada | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Conseil de Recherches en Sciences Naturelles et en Génie du Canada) I2IPJ 567631-22
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In their native environment, tissues are organized into intricate fractal structures, rarely recapitulated in their culture in vitro. The extent to which fractal (self-similar) patterns that resemble complex topography in vivo influence cell maturation remain inadequately elucidated. Yet, the application of fractal topographical stimulation may address the challenge of improving the differentiated cell phenotype in vitro. Here, we show fractality in the kidney glomerulus and podocytes, branching highly differentiated cells within the glomerulus. Biomimetic fractal patterns derived from glomerular histology are used to generate topographical (2.5-D) substrates for cell culture. Podocytes grown on fractal topography exhibit higher expression of functional markers and enhanced cell polarity. RNA sequencing suggests podocytes' enhanced ECM deposition and remodeling on fractal versus flat topography, and enhanced maturation accompanied by stress on fractal versus non-fractal topography. The incorporation of fractal topography into standard well plates may serve as a user-friendly bioengineered platform for high-fidelity cell culture.

Indexed as

BiomimeticsFractalsPodocytesAnimalsCell Culture TechniquesCell DifferentiationCell PolarityCells, CulturedExtracellular MatrixKidney GlomerulusMice

Identifiers

PMID41398144
PMCPMC12706010

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.