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Today we’re introducing the first in a regular series of listings of the most influential papers in different areas of biology and medicine (F1000Prime Faculties). With the 21st International Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference (#tricon) taking place this month in San Francisco, we’re starting with articles published in the field of Molecular Medicine.

This Top 10 comprises the most highly ranked articles according to their F1000Prime score published in 2013 in Molecular Medicine divided into the top 5 overall, and top 5 Hidden Jewels. Molecular Medicine is one of the largest faculties in F1000Prime, with nearly 4,000 articles published in 2013.

The top-ranking article described an exciting new method for the visualization of brain samples from multiple species. It received 12 recommendations and has a score of 35.
The top-ranking Hidden Jewel is an article critiquing the controversial ENCODE (Encyclopedia Of DNA Elements) project, that is described as a “spectacularly interesting read” by Prof Richard Wilson, University of Texas, who was amongst 9 Faculty Members to recommend the article.

Every article recommendation in the Top 10 is free to read from the links in this blog.

Top 5 overall

1. [F1000Prime score: 35]
Structural and molecular interrogation of intact biological systems.
The revolutionary ‘CLARITY’ technique for brain imaging allows researchers to create optically transparent tissue samples, turning rare and valuable specimens into libraries of reusable resources.

2. [F1000Prime score: 26]
Genomic responses in mouse models poorly mimic human inflammatory diseases.
Are mouse models of diseases really that useful? This paper discusses the worrying lack of correlation between genomic responses to inflammatory diseases in mice and humans.

3. [F1000Prime score: 21]
Reprogramming adult Schwann cells to stem cell-like cells by leprosy bacilli promotes dissemination of infection.
A demonstration of the terrifying ingenuity of pathogens, this paper shows how the bacteria responsible for leprosy infect the Schwann cells of the nervous system and convert them to multipotent stem cells to further spread through the body.

4. [F1000Prime score: 21]
Sex differences in the gut microbiome drive hormone-dependent regulation of autoimmunity.
This paper links the hormonal differences that affect the gut microbiota to the gender differences in autoimmune disorders.

5. [F1000Prime score: 20]
Cerebral organoids model human brain development and microcephaly.
This ground-breaking paper used a 3D culture system that, for the first time, led to the creation of ‘mini-brains’ consisting of discrete brain structures recapitulating a developing human brain.

Top 5 Hidden Jewels

1. [F1000Prime score: 18]
On the immortality of television sets: “function” in the human genome according to the evolution-free gospel of ENCODE.
The gloves are off – a hard-hitting critique of the conclusion by the ENCODE consortium that 80% of the human genome is functional.

2. [F1000Prime score: 11]
Tissue-resident macrophages self-maintain locally throughout adult life with minimal contribution from circulating monocytes.
Several papers have challenged the standing dogma that tissue-resident macrophages are renewed from differentiation of infiltrating monocytes. This study tests this in mice and presents firm evidence against it.

3. [F1000Prime score: 11]
The absence of intrarenal ACE protects against hypertension.
Providing important new insights into the mechanisms of hypertension, the very convincing data in this study demonstrate that ACE metabolism plays a fundamental role in the responses of the kidney to hypertensive stimuli.

4. [F1000Prime score: 9]
Ribonucleotides misincorporated into DNA act as strand-discrimination signals in eukaryotic mismatch repair.
This paper elucidates a long-standing puzzle in eukaryotic mismatch repair – how do the mismatch repair enzymes identify which of the two bases in the mismatch is the wrong one? The answer lies in ribonucleotides acting as strand discrimination markers.

5. [F1000Prime score: 9]
p53 Efficiently Suppresses Tumor Development in the Complete Absence of Its Cell-Cycle Inhibitory and Proapoptotic Effectors p21, Puma, and Noxa.
It is long known that p53 confers its effects in tumor suppression through its ability to transactivate target genes involved in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis , but this study challenges the traditional concept using cells from p21-/- puma-/- noxa-/- mice.

As a measure of research impact – an article-level metric – the F1000Prime score is unique and, we believe, one of the most important as it shows influence of articles with scientists who themselves are influential. With evidence demonstrating that not every scientist reads the articles they cite – let alone articles and links shared on social media – a measure of impact like the F1000Prime score, where the user knows every article has been read, understood and commented on by a credible expert, should be a valuable tool for research assessment.

Next month, as scientists and clinicians gather again in Brussels for the 34th ISICEM (International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine) conference, we’ll be looking at the top articles in Critical Care and Emergency Medicine.

How is this list calculated?
This Top 10 and any future F1000Prime most influential lists are derived primarily from the total F1000Prime score for articles published in a given year (2013) and categorized in a particular Faculty (Molecular Medicine). Where articles have the same score, the article recommendation with the most downloads on F1000Prime is placed highest. Articles that are classified as general interest – and so appear in many F1000Prime faculties – are excluded from these lists. Articles appearing in the Hidden Jewels list are articles published in more specialized journals. See the footnote in this blog for more explanation of how Hidden Jewels are calculated.