Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41820363›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Endogenous VEGF signaling acts as a guardian of human primed pluripotency.

Xu Wu, Chunsheng Wen, Chaonan Zhu, Huiyuan Jiao, Chenge Xin, Haokun Jiang, Ran Tong, Yuwei Huang, Liyun Yuan, Min Shao and 10 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

20 authors.

Xu Wu *Department of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Chunsheng Wen *CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (SINH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China.
Chaonan Zhu *Department of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Huiyuan JiaoDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Chenge XinDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Haokun JiangDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Ran TongDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5240-7417
Yuwei HuangBio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Liyun YuanBio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Min ShaoCAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (SINH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China.
Hanzhi ZhaoCAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (SINH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China.
Junjie GuDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Qiong WuDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Feng ZhangDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Han WangDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yifan ZhouCAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (SINH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China.
Bing LiaoDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1279-1682
Lingjie LiDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4348-516X
Ying JinDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. yjin@sibs.ac.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0070-2048
Hui LiDepartment of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. lihuilh@shsmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7923-6005

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The maintenance of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) self-renewal and pluripotency is governed by distinct signaling pathways, yet endogenous pluripotency-supporting pathways remain understudied despite extensive exogenous signaling research. Here, we identify a previously unrecognized role of endogenous VEGF signaling in sustaining primed hESC pluripotency. VEGF signaling is robustly activated in primed hESCs, quiescent in naïve cells, and inactivated upon differentiation. Strikingly, targeted VEGFR inhibition (pharmacological, soluble decoy receptors [sFLT1/sKDR], or CRISPR-mediated VEGFR1/2 knockout) in primed hESCs disrupts self-renewal and induces trophoblast-like differentiation. Mechanistically, VEGFR inhibition activates the BMP pathway and down-regulates NANOG, which directly binds and represses select BMP components and trophoblast lineage-specific genes. Functionally, BMP inhibition partially and NANOG overexpression substantially rescue the phenotype induced by VEGF signaling ablation. Collectively, our work uncovers a pivotal VEGF-dependent network maintaining primed pluripotency, providing valuable insights into integrated pluripotency and lineage regulation by signaling cascades and transcription factors.

Indexed as

Human Embryonic Stem CellsPluripotent Stem CellsSignal TransductionVascular Endothelial Growth Factor ABone Morphogenetic ProteinsCell DifferentiationCell Self RenewalHumansNanog Homeobox ProteinTrophoblastsVascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2Bone Morphogenetic ProteinsNanog Homeobox ProteinNANOG protein, humanVascular Endothelial Growth Factor AVascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2VEGFA protein, human

Identifiers

PMID41820363
PMCPMC13125639

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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.