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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 7, 2013; 19(41): 7032-7041
Published online Nov 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i41.7032
Published online Nov 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i41.7032
Stages based molecular mechanisms for generating cholangiocytes from liver stem/progenitor cells
Wei-Hui Liu, Li-Na Ren, Tao Chen, Li-Ye Liu, Li-Jun Tang, General Surgery Center of PLA, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu 610083, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally this article.
Supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81302168, No. 81172061, No. 81370016 and No. 81170419
Correspondence to: Li-Jun Tang, Professor, General Surgery Center of PLA; Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu 610083, Sichuan Province, China. whjtlj1251@163.com
Telephone: +86-28-86571251 Fax: +86-28-86571251
Received: July 24, 2013
Revised: September 1, 2013
Accepted: September 15, 2013
Published online: November 7, 2013
Revised: September 1, 2013
Accepted: September 15, 2013
Published online: November 7, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: After liver stem/progenitor cells (LSPCs) are isolated by different groups from both fetal and adult livers, it is urgent to decide the cell fates of LSPCs. Especially, it is found that the core issue for LSPCs application lies in their accurate differentiation. Because there are lots of literatures concentrating on self-renewal and hepatic differentiation of LSPCs, in this review, we mainly summarize the molecular mechanisms for controlling other cell fates of LSPCs, especially differentiation into cholangiocytes. For biliary differentiation, we propose that it is a gradually progressing process consisting of three main steps: initiation, progression and accomplishment.