Critical receptor identified in liver regeneration

In studies in mouse models, researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have found that a cellular receptor involved in triggering cell death is also a necessary component of tissue repair and regeneration immediately following liver injury. This discovery could have implications for early intervention or therapy in liver disease such as cirrhosis or hepatitis.

In a report to be published in the March 30 issue of the journal Science, Katerina Akassoglou, Ph.D. assistant professor in UCSD's Department of Pharmacology, and colleagues describe the mechanism by which cells associated with liver damage, called hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), are activated by a cell surface molecule called the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) to promote repair in the liver.