Functional relevance of the extracellular matrix molecules Periostin and Tenascin C in liver damage and regeneration (A18#)

严重的肝损伤与强烈的纤维化反应有关。因此，肝星状细胞被激活并分泌各种细胞外基质蛋白，如Periostin和Tenascin C。这些蛋白为肝祖细胞创造了一个特定的微环境，可能影响肝祖细胞的激活和扩增及其向肝细胞的分化潜能。因此，将在Periostin和Tenascin C转基因敲除小鼠模型中讨论和详细分析肝脏损伤和再生的过程。此外，对慢性肝病石蜡包埋组织标本的研究应明确Periostin和Tenascin C的表达是否与病理生理参数有关。

A severe liver damage is associated with a strong fibrotic reaction. Hereby, hepatic stellate cells are activated and secret various extracellular matrix proteins, such as Periostin and Tenascin C. These proteins generate a specific microenvironmental niche for hepatic progenitor cells and probably influence the activation and expansion of the hepatic progenitor cells as well as their differentiation potential towards hepatocytes. Accordingly, the process of liver injury and regeneration will be addressed in Periostin and Tenascin C transgenic knockout mouse models and analyzed in detail. Moreover, the investigation of human paraffin-embedded tissue samples of chronic liver diseases should clarify whether the expression of Periostin and Tenascin C shows a correlation with pathophysiological parameters.