Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39779943›Full record

ArticleNature cell biology2025

Gallbladder-derived retinoic acid signalling drives reconstruction of the damaged intrahepatic biliary ducts.

Jianbo He, Shuang Li, Zhuolin Yang, Jianlong Ma, Chuanfang Qian, Zhuofu Huang, Linke Li, Yun Yang, Jingying Chen, Yunfan Sun and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature cell biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Jianbo He *State Key laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Liver Cancer Institute of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2551-8186
Shuang Li *Institute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Zhuolin YangInstitute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Jianlong MaState Key laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Liver Cancer Institute of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Chuanfang QianInstitute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Zhuofu HuangInstitute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Linke LiInstitute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Yun YangInstitute of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Jingying ChenState Key laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Liver Cancer Institute of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-4051-4739
Yunfan SunState Key laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Liver Cancer Institute of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Tianyu ZhaoState Key laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Liver Cancer Institute of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Lingfei LuoState Key laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Liver Cancer Institute of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. lluo@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-4714-9169

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Severe damage to the intrahepatic biliary duct (IHBD) network occurs in multiple human advanced cholangiopathies, such as primary sclerosing cholangitis, biliary atresia and end-stage primary biliary cholangitis. Whether and how a severely damaged IHBD network could reconstruct has remained unclear. Here we show that, although the gallbladder is not directly connected to the IHBD, there is a common hepatic duct (CHD) in between, and severe damage to the IHBD network induces migration of gallbladder smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to coat the CHD in mouse and zebrafish models. These gallbladder-derived, CHD-coating SMCs produce retinoic acid to activate Sox9b in the CHD, which drives proliferation and ingrowth of CHD cells into the inner liver to reconstruct the IHBD network. This study reveals a hitherto unappreciated function of the gallbladder in the recovery of injured liver, and characterizes mechanisms involved in how the gallbladder and liver communicate through inter-organ cell migration to drive tissue regeneration. Carrying out cholecystectomy will thus cause previously unexpected impairments to liver health.

Indexed as

Bile Ducts, IntrahepaticGallbladderLiver RegenerationTretinoinAnimalsCell MovementCell ProliferationDisease Models, AnimalHepatic Duct, CommonHumansLiverMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMyocytes, Smooth MuscleSignal TransductionSOX9 Transcription FactorSox9 protein, mouseSOX9 Transcription FactorTretinoinZebrafish Proteins

Identifiers

PMID39779943

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.