Li JF, Wang QB, Li YK, Liang YB, Chen XM, Lu QY, Ke Y. Activation of lymphangiogenesis by platelet as novel therapeutic approaches for liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. World J Gastroenterol 2025; 31(23): 107554 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i23.107554]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Yang Ke, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Director, Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgical Education and Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, No. 374 Kunrui Road, Wuhua District, Kunming 650101, Yunnan Province, China. keyang1218@126.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 21, 2025; 31(23): 107554 Published online Jun 21, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i23.107554
Activation of lymphangiogenesis by platelet as novel therapeutic approaches for liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension
Jian-Fu Li, Qing-Bo Wang, Yu-Kai Li, Yu-Bo Liang, Xing-Ming Chen, Qi-Yu Lu, Yang Ke
Jian-Fu Li, Department of General Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Dali City, Dali 671000, Yunnan Province, China
Qing-Bo Wang, Yu-Kai Li, Yu-Bo Liang, Xing-Ming Chen, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, Yunnan Province, China
Qi-Yu Lu, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, Yunnan Province, China
Yang Ke, Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgical Education and Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, Yunnan Province, China
Co-first authors: Jian-Fu Li and Qing-Bo Wang.
Co-corresponding authors: Yang Ke and Qi-Yu Lu.
Author contributions: Li JF and Wang QB contributed equally as co-first authors; Li JF, Wang QB, Li YK, Liang YB, and Chen XM interpreted the data and drafted the manuscript; Lu QY and Ke Y designed the letter and reviewed and edited it critically; all authors approved the final version to be published and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82460461; Medical Subject Leader of Yunnan Province (General Surgery), No. D-2024029; Yunnan Fundamental Research Project for Excellent Young Scholars, No. 202401AW070003; The Young and Mid-aged Academic and Technical Leader Reserve Talent Program of Yunnan Province, No. 202205AC160063; and Beijing Bethune Charitable Foundation, No. STLKY0089.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yang Ke, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Director, Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgical Education and Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, No. 374 Kunrui Road, Wuhua District, Kunming 650101, Yunnan Province, China. keyang1218@126.com
Received: March 27, 2025 Revised: April 23, 2025 Accepted: May 12, 2025 Published online: June 21, 2025 Processing time: 85 Days and 21.1 Hours
Abstract
This letter comments on the recently published article in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, in which the authors demonstrated a strong link between lymphangiogenesis and the process of platelet adherence, aggregation, and activation by employing a rat model of liver cirrhosis caused by bile duct ligation (BDL). The authors applied both gain and loss of function approach by using platelet-rich plasma and vascular endothelial growth factor 3 receptor inhibitor MAZ-51 to activate and inhibit angiogenetic signaling in BDL rat model, respectively, to verify the crucial function of lymphangiogenesis in the development of liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension (PHT). In clinical practice, platelet transfusion has been applied to improve liver function in patients suffering from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. Therefore, this study provides support for the application of platelet transfusion or pharmacological intervention of lymphangiogenesis as novel therapeutic approaches for liver cirrhosis and PHT.
Core Tip: Whole-transcriptome sequencing in rat model of liver cirrhosis induced by bile duct ligation revealed the strong link between lymphangiogenesis and the process of platelet adherence, aggregation, and activation. Gain and loss of function approach confirmed the crucial function of lymphangiogenesis in the development of liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension (PHT). In conclusion, this study provides support for the application of platelet transfusion or pharmacological intervention of lymphangiogenesis as novel therapeutic approaches for liver cirrhosis and PHT.
