Dr. Monga and Dr. Nejak-Bowen Publish in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Many acute and chronic liver injuries exhibit histologically as proliferating cholangiocytes, commonly referred to as ductular reaction. The origin of the cells comprising the ductular reaction is dependent on the injury (hepatocyte versus cholangiocyte) as well as capability of these two-liver epithelial or ‘hepithelial’ cells to divide and replace injured cells. What is the role of ductular reaction in hepatobiliary injury versus repair remains debated. While ductular reaction has been shown to be source of pro-inflammatory and profibrogenic factors, it has also been shown to contribute towards maintaining hepatobiliary function during injury. In fact, reducing ductular reaction has been shown to exacerbate while promoting it could alleviate liver injury. We discuss some of the studies that highlight various mechanisms through which ductular reaction plays a beneficial role in modulating hepatobiliary health during injury and eventually discuss how regulating such process may have a therapeutic benefit.