Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41896241›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

A controllable human spinal cord model with full dorsoventral patterning.

Jeyoon Bok, Yung Su Kim, Fangyi Cheng, Chongjian Gao, Zhuowei Zhou, Norio Kobayashi, Shiyu Sun, Aoife Tang, Xufeng Xue, Diep H Nguyen and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
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. 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. 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

12 authors.

Jeyoon BokDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Yung Su KimDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Fangyi ChengDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Chongjian GaoDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Zhuowei ZhouDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Norio KobayashiDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-8718-6010
Shiyu SunDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Aoife TangGreenhills School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Xufeng XueDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9379-8589
Diep H NguyenComputational and Systems Biology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Pulin LiWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8525-4936
Jianping FuDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. jpfu@umich.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9629-6739

Funding

A Fully Patterned Human Neural Tube Model Using MicrofluidicsR01NS129850 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Jianping Fu · 2023 to 2026
$2.1M
Acoustic Tweezing Cytometry for Efficient Neural DifferentiationR01GM143297 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI DENG, CHERI X, FU, JIANPING · 2021 to 2024
$1.8M
Modeling NDE1 function in dysregulated brain development using a microfluidic CNS modelR21NS127983 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI FU, JIANPING, REINER, ORLY · 2023 to 2024
$371k
National Science Foundation (NSF) CBET 1901718National Science Foundation (NSF) CMMI 2325361National Science Foundation (NSF) CMMI 2517721National Science Foundation (NSF) EFMA 2422149National Science Foundation (NSF) PFI 2213845NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM143297NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS129850NINDS NIH HHS R21 NS127983University of Michigan (U-M) Mid-career Biosciences Faculty Achievement Recognition Award
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Dorsoventral (DV) patterning of the spinal cord (SC) is orchestrated by morphogen gradients that specify distinct neural progenitor domains, the dorsal roof plate (RP), ventral floor plate (FP), and delaminating neural crest cells (NCCs). While foundational insights into SC patterning have been gained from animal models, key aspects - such as the role of retinoic acid (RA), dynamics of NCC lineage development, and human-specific features - remain poorly understood due to limitations in existing in vivo and in vitro models. Here, we present a human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived SC model, termed microfluidic SC-like structures (µSCLSs), generated by applying bioengineered, antiparallel morphogen gradients via a microfluidic platform over micropatterned hPSC colonies. The µSCLS robustly recapitulates complete DV patterning with human specific transcriptional signatures. Using this platform, we uncover a previously unrecognized RA-BMP signaling crosstalk that could explain conflicting reports on the role of RA in SC DV patterning. We further demonstrate lineage-specific ventral migration of NCCs in response to chemoattractant cues, enabling direct visualization and mechanistic dissection of sensory vs. other fate trajectories. This controllable, reproducible, and human-relevant model provides a powerful system for probing human SC development, neural crest biology, and disease modeling with unprecedented resolution.

Indexed as

Body PatterningSpinal CordAnimalsBone Morphogenetic ProteinsCell DifferentiationCell LineageCell MovementHumansNeural CrestPluripotent Stem CellsSignal TransductionTretinoinBone Morphogenetic ProteinsTretinoin

Identifiers

PMID41896241
PMCPMC13194794

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.