Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33427329›Full record

SynthesisPrenatal diagnosis2021

Preclinical stem cell therapy in fetuses with myelomeningocele: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Yada Kunpalin, Sindhu Subramaniam, Silvia Perin, Mattia F M Gerli, Jan Bosteels, Sebastien Ourselin, Jan Deprest, Paolo De Coppi, Anna L David

Open access · hybridAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Prenatal diagnosis, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 13% 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

12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Fetal myelomeningocele repair after the MOMS trial: a systematic review of neurosurgical outcomes and evolving techniques.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. The Intrauterine Treatment of Open Spinal Dysraphism.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2025
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Fetal Surgery for Myelomeningocele: Neurosurgical Perspectives.Advances and technical standards in neurosurgery · 2023
    Article
  11. Article
  12. 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 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Yada KunpalinElizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7388-1414
Sindhu SubramaniamGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Silvia PerinGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Mattia F M GerliGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Jan BosteelsDepartment of Development and Regeneration, Cluster Woman and Child, Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Sebastien OurselinSchool of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
Jan DeprestElizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4920-945X
Paolo De CoppiDepartment of Development and Regeneration, Cluster Woman and Child, Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Anna L DavidElizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0199-6140
Great Ormond Street Hospital · GBUniversity College Hospital · GBKing's College London · GBRode Kruis-Vlaanderen · BE

Funding

Wellcome Trust 101957Wellcome Trust WT101957
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveWe performed a systematic review to summarize the efficacy and safety of in utero stem cells application in preclinical models with myelomeningocele (MMC).

methodsThe study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019160399). We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and CENTRAL for publications articles on stem cell therapy in animal fetuses with MMC until May 2020. Publication quality was assessed by the SYRCLE's tool. Meta-analyses were pooled if studies were done in the same animal model providing similar type of stem cell used and outcome measurements. Narrative synthesis was performed for studies that could not be pooled.

resultsNineteen and seven studies were included in narrative and quantitative syntheses, respectively. Most used mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and primarily involved ovine and rodent models. Both intra-amniotic injection of allogeneic amniotic fluid (AF)-MSCs in rat MMC model and the application of human placental (P)-MSCs to the spinal cord during fetal surgery in MMC ovine model did not compromise fetal survival rates at term (rat model, relative risk [RR] 1.03, 95% CI 0.92-1.16; ovine model, RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.78-1.13). A single intra-amniotic injection of allogeneic AF-MSCs into rat MMC model was associated with a higher rate of complete defect coverage compared to saline injection (RR 16.35, 95% CI 3.27-81.79). The incorporation of human P-MSCs as a therapeutic adjunct to fetal surgery in the ovine MMC model significantly improved sheep locomotor rating scale after birth (mean difference 5.18, 95% CI 3.36-6.99).

conclusionsStem cell application during prenatal period in preclinical animal models is safe and effective.

Indexed as

AnimalsChi-Square DistributionFemaleFetusMeningomyelocelePregnancyRatsSheepStem Cell Transplantation

Identifiers

PMID33427329
PMCPMC7611444
OpenAlexW3115317617

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.