Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40001612›Full record

ArticleBiomolecules2025

Folic Acid Supplementation Inhibits Proliferative Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Shen Nian, Yan Zeng, Katarina E Heyden, Gaël Cagnone, Hitomi Yagi, Myriam Boeck, Deokho Lee, Victoria Hirst, Zhanqing Hua, Jeff Lee and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biomolecules, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. 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

15 authors.

Shen NianDepartment of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9684-0340
Yan ZengDepartment of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID 0009-0004-3626-6801
Katarina E HeydenDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Gaël CagnoneCentre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-9664-3518
Hitomi YagiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Myriam BoeckDepartment of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8343-4426
Deokho LeeDepartment of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5992-9039
Victoria HirstDepartment of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-5821-5477
Zhanqing HuaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Jeff LeeDepartment of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Chaomei WangDepartment of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-1471-5360
Katherine NeilsenDepartment of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID 0009-0007-4996-9380
Jean-Sébastien JoyalCentre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada.
Martha S FieldDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Zhongjie FuDepartment of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8182-2983

Funding

Dietary control of angiogenesis in retinopathy modelsR01EY017017 · NEI · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI Zhongjie Fu, Lois Smith · 2006 to 2026
$11.8M
Serine control of retinal neovascularization in retinopathyR01EY032492 · NEI · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI FU, ZHONGJIE · 2021 to 2025
$2.2M
Boston Children's Hospital OFD/BTREC/CTREC Faculty Career Development Grant 97906Boston Children's Hospital Ophthalmology Foundation 85010Boston Children's Hospital Pilot Grant 92214Mass Lions Eye Foundation 77426Mass Lions Eye Foundation 77821NEI NIH HHS R01 EY017017NEI NIH HHS R01EY017017NEI NIH HHS R01 EY032492NEI NIH HHS R01EY032492
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is the major cause of blindness in children. It is a biphasic disease with retinal vessel growth cessation and loss (Phase I) followed by uncontrolled retinal vessel growth (Phase II). Folate is an essential nutrient for fetal development and growth. Premature infants have a high risk for folate deficiency. However, the contribution of folate to ROP risk remains unknown.

methodsIn mouse oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR), the nursing dams were fed with a folic acid-deficient or control diet after delivery until the end of hyperoxia. Alternatively, pups received direct injection of either folic acid or vehicle during Phase I hyperoxia. Genes involved in the folate cycle and angiogenic responses were examined using real-time PCR. Total retinal folate levels were measured with the

resultsMaternal folic acid deficiency in early life exacerbated pathological retinal vessel growth, while supplementation with folic acid suppressed it. Genes involved in the folate cycle were downregulated in Phase I OIR retinas and were highly expressed in Müller glia. Folic acid reduced pro-angiogenic signaling in cultured rat retinal Müller glia in vitro.

conclusionsAppropriate supplementation of folic acid might be a new and safe treatment for ROP at an early stage.

Indexed as

Dietary SupplementsFolic AcidRetinopathy of PrematurityAnimalsAnimals, NewbornDisease Models, AnimalFemaleFolic Acid DeficiencyHumansMiceMice, Inbred C57BLOxygenRatsRetinaRetinal VesselsFolic AcidOxygenangiogenesisfolateneovascularizationoxygen-induced retinopathyretinaretinopathy of prematurity

Identifiers

PMID40001612
PMCPMC11852370

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Registered trials

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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.