Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34127820›Full record

ArticleNature biomedical engineering2021

Fungal brain infection modelled in a human-neurovascular-unit-on-a-chip with a functional blood-brain barrier.

Jin Kim, Kyung-Tae Lee, Jong Seung Lee, Jisoo Shin, Baofang Cui, Kisuk Yang, Yi Sun Choi, Nakwon Choi, Soo Hyun Lee, Jae-Hyun Lee and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature biomedical engineering, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 80 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
80citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
11.2field-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

80 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 156 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  6. Innovation in antifungal therapy.EMBO molecular medicine · 2026
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  12. Article
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  15. Article
  16. [Indole-3-acetic acid alleviatesNan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University · 2025
    Article
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  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

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

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

12 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Jin Kim *Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7667-9588
Kyung-Tae Lee *Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0068-6220
Jong Seung LeeDepartment of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jisoo ShinDepartment of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Baofang CuiDepartment of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Kisuk YangDepartment of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Yi Sun ChoiDepartment of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4691-8875
Nakwon ChoiBrain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2993-9233
Soo Hyun LeeBrain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jae-Hyun LeeInstitute for Basic Science (IBS), Center for Nanomedicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9236-157X
Yong-Sun BahnDepartment of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. ysbahn@yonsei.ac.kr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9573-5752
Seung-Woo ChoDepartment of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. seungwoocho@yonsei.ac.kr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8058-332X
Yonsei University · KRKorea Institute of Brain Science · KRKorea University · KR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The neurovascular unit, which consists of vascular cells surrounded by astrocytic end-feet and neurons, controls cerebral blood flow and the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to maintain homeostasis in the neuronal milieu. Studying how some pathogens and drugs can penetrate the human BBB and disrupt neuronal homeostasis requires in vitro microphysiological models of the neurovascular unit. Here we show that the neurotropism of Cryptococcus neoformans-the most common pathogen causing fungal meningitis-and its ability to penetrate the BBB can be modelled by the co-culture of human neural stem cells, brain microvascular endothelial cells and brain vascular pericytes in a human-neurovascular-unit-on-a-chip maintained by a stepwise gravity-driven unidirectional flow and recapitulating the structural and functional features of the BBB. We found that the pathogen forms clusters of cells that penetrate the BBB without altering tight junctions, suggesting a transcytosis-mediated mechanism. The neurovascular-unit-on-a-chip may facilitate the study of the mechanisms of brain infection by pathogens, and the development of drugs for a range of brain diseases.

Indexed as

Lab-On-A-Chip DevicesModels, BiologicalBlood-Brain BarrierCoculture TechniquesCryptococcus neoformansEndothelial CellsExtracellular MatrixHumansHydrogelsMeningitisMicrovesselsNeural Stem CellsPericytesTranscytosisHydrogels

Identifiers

PMID34127820
OpenAlexW3166789073

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.