Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41201135›Full record

ArticleAdvanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)2026

Advanced Stem Cell Therapy: 3D-Bioprinted Brain-Like Transplants for Alzheimer's Disease-Like Dementia.

Ke Gai, Yu Song, Dawen Gao, Qingning Nie, Xiao Luo, Caizhe Xu, Changhao Cai, Austin Smith, Xiang Li, Wei Shi and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

13 authors.

Ke GaiBiomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9143-5290
Yu SongBiomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4274-5783
Dawen GaoBeijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China.
Qingning NieBeijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China.
Xiao LuoBiomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Caizhe XuBiomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Changhao CaiBiomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Austin SmithBiomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Xiang LiChina Iron and Steel Research Institute Group, Beijing, 100081, China.
Wei ShiBeijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China.
Lei ZhangBiomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Wei SunBiomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Feng LinBiomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1855-504X

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China SQ2024YFB4600188National Natural Science Foundation of China 52375295
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that lacks effective treatments and urgently requires innovative therapeutic strategies. Although stem cell therapy has demonstrated efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies, it faces challenges such as low cell survival (<5%) and uncontrolled glial differentiation. This study aims to develop a 3D-bioprinted neural patch to enhance stem cell therapy for AD. The hypothesis is that a supportive bioengineered microenvironment would improve cell integration and neuronal differentiation, leading to functional recovery. A tri-component bioink (gelatin/alginate/fibrinogen) is created with tunable printability, biocompatibility, and biodegradation, establishing functional transplantation microenvironments for a 3D-printed human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural progenitor cell (NPC) construct as a hippocampal patch. The system (TTBT) maintains NPC survival and promotes neuronal differentiation, neurite development, and calcium signaling in vitro. In AD-like rats, these constructs improved cell retention (3.41-fold over suspensions), enhanced neuron (79.21 ± 6.67% vs 65.08 ± 7.14%) and GABAergic neuron (29.85 ± 7.69% vs 15.93 ± 10.33%) differentiation, and restored long-term potentiation (LTP) to 97.89% ± 19.84% of healthy control levels. Behavioral tests also show memory improvement, particularly in the Morris water maze. This 3D-printed therapy not only holds potential for enhancing stem cell treatments but also addresses other 3D brain defects.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseNeural Stem CellsPrinting, Three-DimensionalStem Cell TransplantationAnimalsCell DifferentiationDisease Models, AnimalHumansInduced Pluripotent Stem CellsMaleRatsAlzheimer's diseasebioprintingdementialearning and memoryneural regenerationstem cell therapytransplantation

Identifiers

PMID41201135
PMCPMC12822481

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.