Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39888328›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of experimental medicine2025

Periductal fibroblasts participate in liver homeostasis, fibrosis, and tumorigenesis.

Shan-Shan Wang, Jia Yuan, Xinyu Thomas Tang, Xiujuan Yin, Ke Fang, Lin Veronica Chen, Zhenggang Ren, Bo O Zhou

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of experimental medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing 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

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. The hepatic portal area in homeostasis and disease.Clinical and molecular hepatology · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Sema3dInternational journal of biological sciences · 2026
    Article
  9. 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

8 authors.

Shan-Shan Wang *Department of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-8518-558X
Jia Yuan *Department of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7319-5924
Xinyu Thomas TangKey Laboratory of Multi-Cell System, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7154-086X
Xiujuan YinKey Laboratory of Multi-Cell System, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0000-2008-0157
Ke FangKey Laboratory of Multi-Cell System, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7390-8488
Lin Veronica ChenKey Laboratory of Multi-Cell System, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0005-8299-8322
Zhenggang RenDepartment of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5085-6761
Bo O ZhouKey Laboratory of Multi-Cell System, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0001-8950-8799

Funding

Chinese Academy of Science XDB0990000Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem Innovation Fund 22HHXBSS00016National Key Program on Stem Cell and Translational Research 2022YFA1104100National Natural Science Foundation of China 32425020Shanghai Science and Technology Commission 22XD1424000
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Hepatic fibroblasts comprise groups of stromal cells in the liver that are phenotypically distinct from hepatic stellate cells. However, their physiology is poorly understood. By single-cell RNA sequencing, we identified Cd34 and Dpt as hepatic fibroblast-specific genes. Cd34-CreER labeled periportal-venous and periductal fibroblasts, but few pericentral-venous fibroblasts. Cd34+ fibroblasts generated ∼25% of myofibroblasts in periportal fibrosis and ∼40% of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Myofibroblast formation by Cd34+ fibroblasts required Tgfbr2. Depletion of Cd34+ fibroblasts increased the frequency of the ductal epithelial cells under homeostasis and accelerated the progression of ICC. Dpt-CreER labeled periportal- and pericentral-venous fibroblasts, but much less periductal fibroblasts. Dpt+ cells generated ∼15% of myofibroblasts in periportal fibrosis, but few myofibroblasts in pericentral fibrosis or CAFs in ICC. Thus, an orthogonal combination of Cd34-CreER and Dpt-CreER dissected the fates of periductal, periportal-venous, and pericentral-venous fibroblasts. Both periductal and periportal-venous fibroblasts contribute to liver fibrosis. Periductal fibroblasts also contribute to ductal homeostasis and ICC progression.

Indexed as

CarcinogenesisFibroblastsHomeostasisLiverLiver CirrhosisAnimalsAntigens, CD34Bile Duct NeoplasmsCancer-Associated FibroblastsCholangiocarcinomaHumansMiceMyofibroblastsReceptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type IIAntigens, CD34Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II

Identifiers

PMID39888328
PMCPMC11784584

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.