Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39668124›Full record

ArticleCell proliferation2025

Human Brain Organoids Model Abnormal Prenatal Neural Development Induced by Thermal Stimulation.

Lei Xu, Yufan Zhang, Xingyi Chen, Yuan Hong, Xu Zhang, Hao Hu, Xiao Han, Xiao Zou, Min Xu, Wanying Zhu and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell proliferation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Prenatal exposure to extreme heat and autism in children.The Science of the total environment · 2026
    Article
  6. 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

11 authors.

Lei XuState Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4981-6871
Yufan ZhangInstitute of Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Xingyi ChenInstitute of Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Yuan HongInstitute of Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Xu ZhangInstitute of Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Hao HuInstitute of Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Xiao HanInstitute of Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Xiao ZouInstitute of Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Min XuInstitute of Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Wanying ZhuInstitute of Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Yan LiuState Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2918-5398

Funding

Jiangsu Province Higher Education University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program 202210312088YJiangsu Provincial Natural Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars BK20240131National Key Research and Development Program of China 2021YFA1101800National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFA1104800National Key Research and Development Program of China 2023YFF1203600National Natural Science Foundation of China 21904069National Natural Science Foundation of China 22274079National Natural Science Foundation of China 82171528National Natural Science Foundation of China 82325015
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The developing human foetal brain is sensitive to thermal stimulation during pregnancy. However, the mechanisms by which heat exposure affects human foetal brain development remain unclear, largely due to the lack of appropriate research models for studying thermal stimulation. To address this, we have developed a periodic heating model based on brain organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells. The model recapitulated neurodevelopmental disruptions under prenatal heat exposure at the early stages, providing a paradigm for studying the altered neurodevelopment under environmental stimulation. Our study found that periodic heat exposure led to decreased size and impaired neural tube development in the brain organoids. Bulk RNA-seq analysis revealed that the abnormal WNT signalling pathway and the reduction of G2/M progenitor cells might be involved in heat stimulation. Further investigation revealed increased neural differentiation and decreased proliferation under heat stimulation, indicating that periodic heat exposure might lead to abnormal brain development by altering key developmental processes. Hence, our model of periodically heating brain organoids provides a platform for modelling the effects of maternal fever on foetal brain development and could be extended to applications in neurodevelopmental disorders intervention.

Indexed as

BrainHot TemperatureNeurogenesisOrganoidsCell DifferentiationCell ProliferationFemaleHumansModels, BiologicalPregnancyWnt Signaling Pathwaybrain organoidsenvironmental stimulationfoetal brain developmentmaternal hyperthermianeurodevelopmental disorders

Identifiers

PMID39668124
PMCPMC11839188

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.