Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Hepatic Progenitor Specification from Pluripotent Stem Cells using a Defined Differentiation System
Published on: May 10, 2020
Inducible expression of Wnt genes during adult hepatic stem/progenitor cell response
Tohru Itoh1, Yoshiko Kamiya, Mayuko Okabe
1Laboratory of Cell Growth and Differentiation, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan.
Abstract:
In injured livers where hepatocyte growth is severely limited, facultative hepatic stem/progenitor cells, termed oval cells in rodents, are known to emerge and contribute to the regeneration process. Here, we investigated a possible involvement of Wnt signaling during mouse oval cell response and found significant upregulation of several Wnt genes including Wnt7a, Wnt7b, and Wnt10a. Accordingly, increase of beta-catenin protein was observed in oval cell compartments. Pharmacological activation of the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling induced proliferation of cultured hepatic stem/progenitor cell lines. These results together implicate the role of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in adult hepatic stem/progenitor cell response.
Related Concept Videos
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
Liver Regeneration
Cells of Liver
The liver comprises four major types of cells— hepatocytes, stellate, Kupffer, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. The hepatocytes are large...
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways

