Relevancia de la vía de señalización de EGFR en la regulación de la expansión y destino de las células ovales durante el daño hepático crónico

Resumen

Chronic liver damage leads to fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis, constituting a major global health problem. In fact, chronic liver diseases (CLD) are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with an increasing incidence. In chronic liver damage, where the regenerative capacity of hepatocytes or cholangiocytes is compromised, hepatic progenitor cells (HPC), also called oval cells (OC) in rodents, are activated to promote regeneration and restore liver function. Upon activation, HPC/oval cells expand, proliferate and migrate into liver parenchyma where they finally differentiate into hepatocytes and/or cholangiocytes due to their bipotential nature, compensating the cellular loss and helping to maintain liver homeostasis. However, there is evidence that supports a direct correlation between HPC/oval cells expansion and the degree of fibrosis, and in some contexts they could actas tumor-initiating cells. Therefore, it is necessary to deep in the study of the regulation of HPC/oval cell biology and function, particularly, how different growth factors and signaling mechanisms regulate HPC/oval cells, to understand their role in liver physiopathology and to be able to modulate their response for therapeutic purposes...