ArticleHepatology international2008
Stage-specific regulation of adhesion molecule expression segregates epithelial stem/progenitor cells in fetal and adult human livers.
Article in Hepatology international, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- PI3K/AKT signaling pathway: new strategies for treating atherosclerosis with plant-derived compounds.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Advances in Liver Cancer Stem Cell Isolation and their Characterization.Stem cell reviews and reports · 2021Review
- Differentiation in stem/progenitor cells along fetal or adult hepatic stages requires transcriptional regulators independently of oscillations in microRNA expression.Experimental cell research · 2018Article
- Decellularized human placenta supports hepatic tissue and allows rescue in acute liver failure.Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) · 2018Article
- Triple Staining Including FOXA2 Identifies Stem Cell Lineages Undergoing Hepatic and Biliary Differentiation in Cirrhotic Human Liver.The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society · 2017Article
- The origin, biology, and therapeutic potential of facultative adult hepatic progenitor cells.Current topics in developmental biology · 2014Review
- Spontaneous origin from human embryonic stem cells of liver cells displaying conjoint meso-endodermal phenotype with hepatic functions.Journal of cell science · 2012Article
- Human liver cells expressing albumin and mesenchymal characteristics give rise to insulin-producing cells.Journal of transplantation · 2011Article
- Switching of mesodermal and endodermal properties in hTERT-modified and expanded fetal human pancreatic progenitor cells.Stem cell research & therapy · 2010Article
- Liver development, regeneration, and carcinogenesis.Journal of biomedicine & biotechnology · 2010Review
- Hepatic targeting and biodistribution of human fetal liver stem/progenitor cells and adult hepatocytes in mice.Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) · 2009Article
- Phenotype reversion in fetal human liver epithelial cells identifies the role of an intermediate meso-endodermal stage before hepatic maturation.Journal of cell science · 2008Article
- Hepatic differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells by developmental stage-related metabolomics products.Differentiation; research in biological diversityArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
purposeRegulated expression of cell adhesion molecules could be critical in the proliferation, sequestration, and maintenance of stem/progenitor cells. Therefore, we determined fetal and adult stage-specific roles of cell adhesion in liver cell compartments.
methodsWe performed immunostaining for the adhesion molecules, E-cadherin and Ep-CAM, associated proteins, beta-catenin and alpha-actinin, hepatobiliary markers, albumin, alpha-fetoprotein, and cytokeratin-19, and the proliferation marker, Ki-67. Expression of albumin was verified by in situ mRNA hybridization.
resultsIn the fetal liver, hepatoblasts showed extensive proliferation with wide expression of E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and alpha-actinin, although Ep-CAM was expressed in these cells less intensely and focally in the cell membrane to indicate weak cell adhesion. Hepatoblasts in ductal plate and bile ducts showed less proliferation and Ep-CAM was intensely expressed in these cells throughout the cell membrane, indicating strong adhesion. In some ductal plate cells, beta-catenin was additionally in the cytoplasm and nucleus, suggesting active cell signaling by adhesion molecules. In adult livers, cells were no longer proliferating and E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and alpha-actinin were expressed in hepatocytes throughout, whereas Ep-CAM was expressed in only bile duct cells. Some cells in ductal structures of the adult liver with Ep-CAM coexpressed albumin and cytokeratin-19, indicating persistence of fetal-like stem/progenitor cells.
conclusionsRegulated expression of Ep-CAM supported proliferation in fetal hepatoblasts through weak adhesion and helped in biliary morphogenesis by promoting stronger adhesion in hepatoblasts during this process. Restriction of Ep-CAM expression to bile ducts in the adult liver presumably facilitated sequestration of stem/progenitor cells. This stage-specific and cell compartment-related regulation of adhesion molecules should be relevant for defining how liver stem/progenitor cells enter, exit, and remain in hepatic niches during both health and disease.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.