Organ-organ communication: The liver's perspective

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Pathology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Organ-organ communication is vital for homeostasis.
• Hepatic disorders often stem from disrupted liver-organ signaling.
• Hepatokines, liver-secreted proteins, influence distant organs like heart, muscle, bone, and eyes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize current knowledge on organ-organ communication in diseases.
• To explore the role of hepatokines and other signaling factors in liver-centered communication.
• To provide an integrative view of liver-originated signal transduction in disease.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of physiological and pathological events.
• Analysis of studies linking hepatokines and signaling proteins to organ diseases.
• Synthesis of current understanding of interorgan communication mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Impaired liver-organ communication contributes to diverse pathological phenotypes.
• Hepatokines are key mediators in liver-centered interorgan signaling.
• Regulatory mechanisms of hepatokine production, secretion, and reciprocation remain largely unknown.

Conclusions:

• Liver-originated signal transduction plays a critical role in maintaining health and disease.
• Further investigation into hepatokines and other signaling molecules is needed.
• An integrative approach to understanding organ-organ communication is essential for disease insight.