Seminario: “Decoding the Wnt-beta-catenin circuitry in liver zonation and regeneration“.

13/01/2022

Abstract:

Liver is an organ vital for survival as it performs critical synthetic, metabolic, and detoxification functions. It is bestowed with several unique capabilities that allow maintenance of its function despite ongoing insult and injury. Two major processes that are highly relevant include metabolic zonation and liver regeneration. Metabolic zonation allows for cells in particular zone in a hepatic lobule to perform specific functions owing to restricted expression of genes. This allows compartmentalization of key functions of the liver on one hand and also provides opportunities for hepatocytes of specific zones to escape injury allowing repair by expansion of remnant cells. Likewise, hepatocytes have unlimited capacity to proliferate that allows liver to regenerate following surgical or toxicant insult. Over the last 20 years, we have been able to identify and carefully ascertain the cell-molecule circuitry of this complex pathway in regulating the process of liver metabolic zonation as well as regeneration. We have also been able to exploit this pathway to induce liver repair which could have high significance in both areas of liver transplantation as well as for treatment of liver failure. In summary, the talk will highlight the role and regulation of an important pathway in the liver.

INFO : seminari.irib@irib.cnr.it