Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41587925›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of clinical investigation2026

Advancing urine-derived stem cells: Cryopreservation validation and sex-specific metabolism.

Gonçalo José Martins Afonso, Carla Cavaleiro, Sofia Marlene Nunes, Francisco Pereira, Paulo Jorge Oliveira, Jorge Valero, Sandra Isabel Mota, Elisabete Ferreiro

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of clinical investigation, 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

8 authors.

Gonçalo José Martins AfonsoCNC-UC, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Carla CavaleiroCNC-UC, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Sofia Marlene NunesCNC-UC, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Francisco PereiraPolytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute of Engineering, Coimbra, Portugal.
Paulo Jorge OliveiraCNC-UC, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5201-9948
Jorge ValeroInstituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
Sandra Isabel MotaCNC-UC, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9623-5012
Elisabete FerreiroCNC-UC, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1200-4602

Funding

COMPETE2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization 2022.00011.CEECINDCOMPETE2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization 2022.13281.BDCOMPETE2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization COMPETE2030-FEDER-00670400COMPETE2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization DL57/2016/CP1448/CT0027COMPETE2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization https://doi.org/10.54499/PTDC/BTM-ORG/0055/2021COMPETE2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization LA/P/0058/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0058/2020)COMPETE2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization UID/04539/2025COMPETE2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization UID/PRR/4539/2025Fundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiaInterreg Program España-Portugal (POCTEP) 0145_CROSS_3DTOOL_4ALS_3_P
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUrine-derived stem cells (UDSC) are an emerging, non-invasive source of human stem cells combining easy collection, broad accessibility and high patient compliance with multilineage differentiation capacity. However, key gaps remain in UDSC research, particularly in understanding sex-related differences and the lack of a validated cryopreservation protocol, a critical aspect for primary cells, given their variability in colony formation, proliferation rates and experimental timing. To address these limitations, this study aimed to establish, for the first time, a reliable protocol for UDSC cryopreservation and to explore potential sex-related differences, with a specific focus on glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration.

methodsUDSC were isolated from urine samples of healthy donors (aged 27-50, 4 males and 4 females), cultured in 1:1 DMEM:KSFM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and cryopreserved at passages 2-4 using the same medium with the sole addition of 5% dimethyl sulfoxide. Cells were evaluated for viability, apoptosis/necrosis, metabolic profile and multilineage differentiation potential. Comparisons were performed based on donor sex, as well as before and after cryopreservation.

resultsMale- and female-derived UDSC displayed no significant differences in viability and cell death or metabolic profile. Moreover, supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods were unable to discriminate between the two groups, allowing for pooled data analysis and improved statistical power. Similarly, fresh and cryopreserved UDSC displayed comparable viability, metabolic activity and multilineage differentiation relative to fresh cells, with no detectable differences in computational analyses.

conclusionsThese findings support UDSC adoption for biobanking, disease modelling and regenerative medicine.

Indexed as

CryopreservationStem CellsUrineAdultApoptosisCell DifferentiationCells, CulturedCell SurvivalFemaleGlycolysisHumansMaleMiddle AgedMitochondriaNecrosisSex Factorsbiobankingcellular metabolismcryopreservation protocoldisease modellingsex‐related differencesurine‐derived stem cells

Identifiers

PMID41587925
PMCPMC12834848

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.