The liver is a highly regenerative organ, able to efficiently restore mass and function following toxin, viral or surgically induced tissue damage, as long as the damage remains limited. However, with a growing incidence of persistent hepatitis infection, alcoholism and metabolic disorders, acute and chronic liver failure is becoming increasingly prevalent, associated with high morbidity and mortality. Currently, one of the main treatments for liver failure is transplantation, with more than 5,500 liver transplants occurring in Europe annually. However, the side effects of immunosuppression, cost and limited supplies of donor organs have prevented its broader application. As such, there is a desperate need for a greater understanding of the regeneration process and development of pro-regenerative therapies.
This project studies the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving liver regeneration. We will use single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to track the cell-cell interactions during liver regeneration. By better understanding the molecular mechanisms at play, we hope to pave the way towards novel therapeutic interventions that could boost liver regeneration in patients and prevent the need for liver transplantation.
The project has achieved most of its objectives and milestones for the period, with relatively minor deviations. We are finalizing the last part of WP4 for the moment. We are currently blocking one of the key cell-cell interactions we have identified to be increased specifically during liver regeneration. We believe this is part of a central liver regeneration program and are currently assessing the role of this program in liver regeneration. Our preliminary data are very promising and show an effect of regeneration but this needs to be repeated and further characterized. Once this is done we will be able to finalize our second publication for this project. We expect this to be ready within the next 6 months.
