Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40869294›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2025

The Role of β-Core Fragment hCG in Embryo Implantation and Early Pregnancy.

Ji Soo Ryu, Nu Ri Yang, Yu Ha Shim, Yu Jin Kim, Won Jae Kwag, Jin Dong Chang, Jae Ho Lee

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
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

7 authors.

Ji Soo RyuDepartment of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Pocheon 13488, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
Nu Ri YangCHA Fertility Center Seoul Station, Seoul 04637, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-1458-2262
Yu Ha ShimDepartment of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Pocheon 13488, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
Yu Jin KimCHA Fertility Center Seoul Station, Seoul 04637, Republic of Korea.
Won Jae KwagR&D Center, ADTech Co. Ltd., Gunpo-si 15845, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
Jin Dong ChangR&D Center, ADTech Co. Ltd., Gunpo-si 15845, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
Jae Ho LeeDepartment of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Pocheon 13488, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0001-8735-444X

Funding

Korea Health Industry Development Institute RS-2025-02183084
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a pregnancy biomarker, and five forms of this hormone are involved in female physiological regulation. β-core fragment hCG (bcf-hCG) is a fragment of hCG whose biological role in female reproduction has not been completely elucidated. This study aimed to investigate its role in embryo implantation and maintenance of a pregnancy-supportive environment. We analyzed the protein expression pattern of bcf-hCG in the intrauterine environment during early pregnancy by performing western blotting and immunohistochemistry with a monoclonal anti-bcf-hCG antibody. We performed a cell proliferation assay in the presence of bcf-hCG compared with intact hCG. We conducted an ex vivo study by performing intrauterine injection of bcf-hCG or intact hCG in mice. Endometrial thickness was measured using histological methods, and uterine gene and protein expression were analyzed following intrauterine injection of bcf-hCG. We evaluated the effect of bcf-hCG on embryo implantation in the uterus. bcf-hCG was highly abundant in the placenta and epithelial stromal glands of the uterine endometrium during early pregnancy and significantly induced proliferation of a stromal epithelial cell line. Intrauterine injection of bcf-hCG induced expression of specific genes and proteins, including homeobox A10, for embryo implantation and placental development. Upon embryo transfer, the implantation rate of bcf-hCG-treated embryos was higher than that of control embryos. In conclusion, bcf-hCG plays a role in the proliferation of glandular epithelial cells in the endometrium and placenta during early pregnancy. Therefore, bcf-hCG is an early-phase pregnancy biomarker that maintains the initial phase of pregnancy.

Indexed as

Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, HumanEmbryo ImplantationAnimalsCell LineCell ProliferationEmbryo TransferEndometriumFemaleHumansMicePlacentaPregnancyUterusChorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Humanendometriumplacentapregnancyproliferationβ-core fragment hCG

Identifiers

PMID40869294
PMCPMC12387010

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.