The progenitor cells in the liver are within a population oval cells ,
which have been shown to participate in the repair response for most types
of chronic liver injury. Oval cells can be isolated and, with expansion in
culture, could be useful for cell-based therapy of a variety of liver diseases.
We and our collaborators have recently defined a member of the TNF± family of
cytokines, known as TWEAK, that appears to be a specific growth factor for a
subset of hepatic oval cells. Currently we are characterizing the cells that bear
the receptor to this factor (Fn14) and studying its potential for rescuing mice
with fulminant liver failure. The work is being performed in part with collaboration
from Dr. Holger Willenbring.
Selected Publications
George J, Wang SS, Sevcsik AM, Sanicola M, Cate RL, Koteliansky VE, Bissell DM. Transforming growth factor-² initiates
wound repair in rat liver through induction of the EIIIA-fibronectin splice isoform. Amer J Pathol 2000;156:115-124.
Chang ML, Chen JC, Alonso CR, Kornblihtt AR, Bissell DM. Regulation of fibronectin splicing by sinusoidal
endothelial cells from normal or injured liver. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2004;101:18093-98.
Kikuchi S, Griffin CT, Wang SS, Bissell DM. Role of cd44 in epithelial wound repair:
migration of rat hepatic stellate cells utilizes hyaluronic acid and cd44v6. J Biol Chem 2005;280:15398-15404.
Wang B, Dolinski B, Kikuchi N, Leone D, Peters MG, Weinreb P, Violette S, Bissell DM. Role of ±v²6 in biliary fibrosis. (Hepatology 2007, in press)
Information last updated September 2007
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