Molecular mechanism underlying liver stem cell system

组织特异性干细胞的研究对再生医学和癌症治疗的发展具有重要意义。在这项研究中，我们试图阐明调节肝干细胞在肝脏发育、再生和癌变中的分化和增殖的分子机制。我们的研究不仅揭示了肝干细胞分化的机制，还揭示了肝块丢失或肝损伤后肝再生中分化肝细胞的增殖机制。此外，尽管已知肝内胆管癌起源于肝内胆管细胞的恶性转化，但我们发现肝内胆管癌可能起源于肝细胞的notch介导转化。这些发现将有助于肝病治疗策略的发展

The study of tissue-specific stem cells is important for the development of regenerative medicine and cancer therapy. In this study, we sought to clarify the molecular mechanism regulating differentiation and proliferation of hepatic stem cells in liver development, regeneration and carcinogenesis. Our study revealed mechanisms underlying not only differentiation of hepatic stem cells, but also proliferation of differentiated hepatocytes in liver regeneration after loss of liver mass or hepatic injury. Moreover, although intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma has been known to originate from malignant transformation of intrahepatic cholangiocytes, we found that intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma can arise from Notch-mediated conversion of hepatocytes. These findings will contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies for liver diseases