Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33207224›Full record

ArticleDevelopmental cell2020

Mechanical Tension Promotes Formation of Gastrulation-like Nodes and Patterns Mesoderm Specification in Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

Jonathon M Muncie, Nadia M E Ayad, Johnathon N Lakins, Xufeng Xue, Jianping Fu, Valerie M Weaver

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Developmental cell, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 92 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
92citing papers in PubMed
8.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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

92 citing papers in PubMed, 141 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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  6. From genes to germ layers: virtual twins of gastruloids.NPJ systems biology and applications · 2026
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  18. Bioengineering gradients for controlled embryo and organ modeling.Current opinion in biomedical engineering · 2025
    Article
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  20. Article

32 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Jonathon M MuncieGraduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California Berkeley, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Nadia M E AyadGraduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California Berkeley, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Johnathon N LakinsCenter for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Xufeng XueDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Jianping FuDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Valerie M WeaverCenter for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Anatomy, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address: valerie.weaver@ucsf.edu.
University of California, San Francisco · USUniversity of Michigan–Ann Arbor · USUniversity of California, Berkeley · US

Funding

Tissue mechanics reprograms the tissue to malignancy and metastasisR35CA242447 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI VALERIE MARIE WEAVER · 2020 to 2026
$6.6M
Targeting the Cancer GlycocalyxR01CA227942 · NCI · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Carolyn Bertozzi · 2019 to 2026
$3.6M
ECM geometrical and mechanical properties modulate RTK signalingU01CA202241 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · PI GROVES, JAY T., WEAVER, VALERIE MARIE · 2015 to 2019
$3.3M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA227942NCI NIH HHS R35 CA242447NCI NIH HHS U01 CA202241
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Embryogenesis is directed by morphogens that induce differentiation within a defined tissue geometry. Tissue organization is mediated by cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesions and is modulated by cell tension and tissue-level forces. Whether cell tension regulates development by modifying morphogen signaling is less clear. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) exhibit an intrinsic capacity for self-organization, which motivates their use as a tractable model of early human embryogenesis. We engineered patterned substrates that recapitulate the biophysical properties of the early embryo and mediate the self-organization of "gastrulation-like" nodes in cultured hESCs. Tissue geometries that generated local nodes of high cell-adhesion tension directed the spatial patterning of the BMP4-dependent "gastrulation-like" phenotype by enhancing phosphorylation and junctional release of β-catenin to promote Wnt signaling and mesoderm specification. Furthermore, direct force application via mechanical stretching promoted BMP-dependent mesoderm specification, confirming that tissue-level forces can directly regulate cell fate specification in early human development.

Indexed as

Cell DifferentiationGastrulationStress, MechanicalAnimalsbeta CateninBone Morphogenetic Protein 4Cells, CulturedHEK293 CellsHuman Embryonic Stem CellsHumansMesodermMiceWnt Signaling Pathwaybeta CateninBMP4 protein, humanBone Morphogenetic Protein 4cytoskeletal tensiongastrulationhuman embryonic stem cellsmesodermpolyacrylamide hydrogelsself-organizationtissue patterningtraction force microscopy

Identifiers

PMID33207224
PMCPMC7755684
OpenAlexW3103132446

What OpenQuestion 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 OpenQuestion graph.