Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26292211›Full record

ArticlePloS one2015

VSX2 and ASCL1 Are Indicators of Neurogenic Competence in Human Retinal Progenitor Cultures.

Lynda S Wright, Isabel Pinilla, Jishnu Saha, Joshua M Clermont, Jessica S Lien, Katarzyna D Borys, Elizabeth E Capowski, M Joseph Phillips, David M Gamm

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
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

10 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Single-Cell Transcriptomics onBiomedicines · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Outer Retinal Cell Replacement: Putting the Pieces Together.Translational vision science & technology · 2021
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Involvement ofFrontiers in molecular biosciences · 2020
    Article
  9. Article
  10. 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

9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Lynda S WrightWaisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America; McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Isabel PinillaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Lozano Blesa University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain; Aragones Health Sciences Institute, Zaragoza, Spain.
Jishnu SahaWaisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Joshua M ClermontWaisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America; New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Jessica S LienWaisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Katarzyna D BorysWaisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Elizabeth E CapowskiWaisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
M Joseph PhillipsWaisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America; McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
David M GammWaisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America; McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
University of Wisconsin–Madison · USHospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa · ESSmith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute · US

Funding

WISCONSIN CENTER ON MENTAL RETARDATION: CORE SUPPORTP30HD003352 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI MESSING, ALBEE · 1985 to 2015
$25.2M
Mechanisms of Retinogenesis in Human Stem CellsR01EY021218 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI GAMM, DAVID M · 2010 to 2017
$2.2M
NEI NIH HHS R01 EY021218NEI NIH HHS R01EY21218NICHD NIH HHS P30 HD003352NICHD NIH HHS P30HD03352
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Three dimensional (3D) culture techniques are frequently used for CNS tissue modeling and organoid production, including generation of retina-like tissues. A proposed advantage of these 3D systems is their potential to more closely approximate in vivo cellular microenvironments, which could translate into improved manufacture and/or maintenance of neuronal populations. Visual System Homeobox 2 (VSX2) labels all multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) and is known to play important roles in retinal development. In contrast, the proneural transcription factor Acheate scute-like 1 (ASCL1) is expressed transiently in a subset of RPCs, but is required for the production of most retinal neurons. Therefore, we asked whether the presence of VSX2 and ASCL1 could gauge neurogenic potential in 3D retinal cultures derived from human prenatal tissue or ES cells (hESCs). Short term prenatal 3D retinal cultures displayed multiple characteristics of human RPCs (hRPCs) found in situ, including robust expression of VSX2. Upon initiation of hRPC differentiation, there was a small increase in co-labeling of VSX2+ cells with ASCL1, along with a modest increase in the number of PKCα+ neurons. However, 3D prenatal retinal cultures lost expression of VSX2 and ASCL1 over time while concurrently becoming refractory to neuronal differentiation. Conversely, 3D optic vesicles derived from hESCs (hESC-OVs) maintained a robust VSX2+ hRPC population that could spontaneously co-express ASCL1 and generate photoreceptors and other retinal neurons for an extended period of time. These results show that VSX2 and ASCL1 can serve as markers for neurogenic potential in cultured hRPCs. Furthermore, unlike hESC-OVs, maintenance of 3D structure does not independently convey an advantage in the culture of prenatal hRPCs, further illustrating differences in the survival and differentiation requirements of hRPCs extracted from native tissue vs. those generated entirely in vitro.

Indexed as

Basic Helix-Loop-Helix ProteinsCell DifferentiationHomeodomain ProteinsHumansImaging, Three-DimensionalNeural Stem CellsNeurogenesisPolymerase Chain ReactionRetinaTranscription FactorsASCL1 protein, humanBasic Helix-Loop-Helix ProteinsHomeodomain ProteinsTranscription FactorsVSX2 protein, human

Identifiers

PMID26292211
PMCPMC4546156
OpenAlexW2187074433

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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 OpenQuestion graph.