The study sheds light on the mystery of regeneration of liver cell damage

The HuiLijian Research Group of the Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Bioinsculation and Cell Institute) found that the Arid1a protein in the nuclei of cells regulates the "regeneration gene" of liver cells in a pre-opened "standby" state in normal liver cells, allowing liver cells to respond more quickly to damaged signals and activate liver "regeneration procedures". This study reveals the molecular basis of liver injury regeneration mediated by liver cell reprogramming from the genetic level, and provides a new way of thinking for the treatment of liver injury with drug targeting. The study was published July 3 in Cell-Stem Cells.
The liver is one of the most important organs in the human body, because of its metabolic detoxification function, often by a variety of foreign substances damage, resulting in a serious decline in the liver's regeneration capacity, so it is important to study liver damage regeneration and its molecular control mechanism.
recent years, it has been found that liver cell reprogramming is the main way to regenerate liver cells in the form of venous liver damage. Liver cells are developed by liver prescellular cells, in this type of liver damage, liver cells in a "reverse growth" way to reverse differentiation into liver-like pregenitor cells very close to liver prescellular cells, after obtaining "new" secondary development into more liver cells, involved in liver regeneration. However, the molecular basis for the reprogramming of this series of liver cells remains a mystery.
study, researchers found that the Arid1a protein in the nucleosis regulates the reprogramming of liver cells. The liver cells that knocked out Arid1a no longer "reverse growth" after liver damage in the door veins, leading to defects in liver repair. In addition, once the liver is damaged, the transcription factor YAP is active, which binds to the "regenerative gene" of the liver cells in the "open" state, which can open the liver's auto-repair procedure.
While the Arid1a protein regulates the pre-opening of liver cell "regenerative genes" in normal liver cells, the binding of YAP with liver cells "regenerative genes" becomes more efficient and rapid, prompting liver cells to "reverse growth" and activate reprogramming.
huilijian says it is precisely because of the pre-opening properties of the "regenerative gene" that liver cells are more malleable than other cells in the liver and can be reprogrammed to "reverse growth" to regenerate damaged livers. (Source: Huang Xin Hejing, China Science Journal)
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