Scientists map the embryonic Brain's wiring to unlock secrets of vision
NCT ID NCT07688538
First seen Jul 07, 2026 · Last updated Jul 08, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study examines how nerve cells in the human embryonic retina and brain regions responsible for vision and higher thinking grow and connect. Researchers collect eye and brain tissue from pregnancies terminated due to medical conditions, then use advanced gene sequencing and electrical recording tools to map cell types, developmental pathways, and neural activity. The goal is to build a public database that reveals the molecular and cellular foundations of visual system development.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could create a detailed map of how the human visual system develops, potentially guiding future treatments for eye and brain developmental disorders.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study using tissue from terminated pregnancies, so it does not test any treatment. The findings may not directly translate to therapies.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
This study recruits pregnant patients undergoing termination of pregnancy at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, divided into an embryonic developmental abnormality group (Abnormal group) and a normal control group (Normal group), with a planned enrollment of 100 subjects per group. The gestational age of embryos ranges from 9 to 40 weeks. Two types of samples are included: retrospective cryopreserved specimens from the hospital biobank collected between January 2025 and January 2026 (20 cases per group, with donors having signed informed consent for specimen research use); and prospective fresh specimens collected between February 2026 and June 2027 (80 cases per group). All participants sign study-specific written informed consent.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Abnormal group: Embryos with clinically confirmed embryonic developmental abnormalities requiring medical termination of pregnancy; intact retinal, visual and cognitive brain tissues available for snATAC-seq, scRNA-seq, electrophysiology, proteomics and RNAscope detection. Normal group: Embryos confirmed free of any ocular and central nervous developmental defects by prenatal examination and anatomical observation; intact embryonic ocular and brain tissues meeting all experimental detection standards. All sample donors have signed written informed consent authorizing the use of residual embryonic tissues for scientific research, with no monetary compensation involved. Exclusion Criteria: * Embryonic ocular or brain tissues with severe necrosis, structural damage or microbial contamination that cannot support multi-omics and functional experiments. Donors who withdraw or refuse the consent for tissue research use. Samples with irregular collection, transportation or cryopreservation procedures resulting in tissue degradation and failure to meet experimental requirements.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University
RECRUITINGGuangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, China