Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42690250›Full record

ArticleDevelopment (Cambridge, England)2026

Laminin β4 is required for the development of human peripheral sensory neurons.

Kenyi Saito-Diaz, Tripti Saini, Archie Patel, Bhavik Dalal, Jayden Jackson, Christina James, Kimata Safi Thomas, Trinity Knight, Stephanie Beatrice Gogita, Kosuke Funato and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Development (Cambridge, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Kenyi Saito-DiazCenter for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Tripti SainiCenter for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Archie PatelCenter for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Bhavik DalalCenter for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Jayden JacksonCenter for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Christina JamesCenter for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Kimata Safi ThomasCenter for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Trinity KnightCenter for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-3584-5724
Stephanie Beatrice GogitaCenter for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Kosuke FunatoCenter for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Nadja ZeltnerCenter for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2978-2507

Funding

Precision Medicine for the Peripheral Nervous System Disorder Familiar DysautonomiaR01NS114567 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · PI Nadja Zeltner · 2021 to 2026
$3.0M
NIH HHSNINDS NIH HHS 1R01NS114567-01A1NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS114567University of Georgia
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides biophysical and biochemical cues necessary for cellular migration, differentiation and survival during development. Laminins are major ECM proteins consisting of α, β and γ chains. However, the function of laminin β4, encoded by LAMB4, remains unknown. Using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), we characterize the role of LAMB4 in human peripheral sensory neuron (SN) biology. We found that LAMB4 is expressed during early SN specification, and it is required for SN development and survival. To assess clinical relevance, we examined familial dysautonomia (FD), a genetic disorder specifically affecting peripheral neurons. LAMB4 variants previously identified in individuals with severe FD sharply downregulated LAMB4 expression in SNs. Moreover, restoring a healthy ECM rescued the FD-related developmental phenotypes, suggesting that ECM defects contribute significantly to the etiology of FD. Finally, we showed that LAMB4/laminin β4 interacts with laminin α4 and laminin γ3 to form the previously unreported laminin-443 and is required for actin filament formation in SNs. Together, these results identify LAMB4 as a crucial regulator of SN development and survival with clinical implications.

Indexed as

LamininSensory Receptor CellsAnimalsCell DifferentiationDysautonomia, FamilialExtracellular MatrixHumansPluripotent Stem CellsLAMA4 protein, humanLamininFamilial dysautonomiaHuman pluripotent stem cellsLamininPeripheral nervous systemSensory neurons

Identifiers

PMID42690250
PMCPMC13615688

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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.