Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42071254›Full record

ArticleStem cell research & therapy2026

Spatiotemporal single-cell atlas of suture stem cell dynamics in craniosynostosis.

Xinyan Chen, Chenzhi Lai, Tian He, Zong Chen, Xiaolei Jin

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Article in Stem cell research & therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Xinyan ChenDepartment of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100144, China.
Chenzhi LaiDepartment of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100144, China.
Tian HeDepartment of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100144, China.
Zong ChenDepartment of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100144, China.
Xiaolei JinDepartment of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100144, China. jinxiaolei@psh.pumc.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCraniosynostosis is a congenital disorder characterized by premature suture fusion and aberrant skull morphogenesis. The cellular dynamics and regulatory mechanisms of suture mesenchymal stem cells (SuSCs) in this disease remain poorly defined.

methodsWe integrated single-cell RNA sequencing and 2-μm-resolution Visium HD spatial transcriptomics to build a spatiotemporal atlas of coronal suture cells in Fgfr2

resultsThe atlas reveals stage-specific remodeling of SuSC niches and a shift of SuSC spatial associations toward osteogenic mesenchyme in craniosynostosis. Along the SuSC-to-osteoblast trajectory, pre-osteoblasts were depleted earlier than upstream SuSCs, and SuSCs displayed premature acquisition of osteogenic programs near the suture midline. Temporal Gene Ontology patterns indicated early extracellular-matrix disruption, mid-gestation chondrogenic activation, and postnatal mineralization. Network analysis nominated Foxa3 as a candidate regulator in SuSC subsets; siRNA knockdown of Foxa3 reduced ex vivo mineralization in the craniosynostosis background. Spatial communication analyses implicated signals from suture meningeal fibroblasts and immune cells that converge on SuSC fate.

conclusionsOur results support a model where craniosynostosis may involve disrupted temporal coordination of developmental programs, not merely accelerated bone formation. The atlas and analytic framework pinpoint when and where SuSC fate diverges, propose Foxa3 as an intervention target, and provide a high-resolution resource for mechanistic and therapeutic exploration.

Indexed as

Cranial SuturesCraniosynostosesMesenchymal Stem CellsAnimalsHumansMiceOsteogenesisReceptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2Single-Cell AnalysisReceptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2CraniosynostosisSingle-cell transcriptomicsSpatial transcriptomicsSuture mesenchymal stem cells

Identifiers

PMID42071254
PMCPMC13312657

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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.