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Aguilar-Bravo B, Ariño S, Blaya D, Pose E, Martinez García de la Torre RA, Latasa MU, Martínez-Sánchez C, Zanatto L, Sererols-Viñas L, Cantallops-Vilà P, Affo S, Coll M, Thillen X, Dubuquoy L, Avila MA, Argemi J, Paz AL, Nevzorova YA, Cubero FJ, Bataller R, Lozano JJ, Ginès P, Mathurin P, Sancho-Bru P. Hepatocyte dedifferentiation profiling in alcohol-related liver disease identifies CXCR4 as a driver of cell reprogramming. J Hepatol 2023; 79:728-740. [PMID: 37088308 PMCID: PMC10540088 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Loss of hepatocyte identity is associated with impaired liver function in alcohol-related hepatitis (AH). In this context, hepatocyte dedifferentiation gives rise to cells with a hepatobiliary (HB) phenotype expressing biliary and hepatocyte markers and showing immature features. However, the mechanisms and impact of hepatocyte dedifferentiation in liver disease are poorly understood. METHODS HB cells and ductular reaction (DR) cells were quantified and microdissected from liver biopsies from patients with alcohol-related liver disease (ArLD). Hepatocyte-specific overexpression or deletion of C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), and CXCR4 pharmacological inhibition were assessed in mouse liver injury. Patient-derived and mouse organoids were generated to assess plasticity. RESULTS Here, we show that HB and DR cells are increased in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and AH, but only HB cells correlate with poor liver function and patients' outcome. Transcriptomic profiling of HB cells revealed the expression of biliary-specific genes and a mild reduction of hepatocyte metabolism. Functional analysis identified pathways involved in hepatocyte reprogramming, inflammation, stemness, and cancer gene programs. The CXCR4 pathway was highly enriched in HB cells and correlated with disease severity and hepatocyte dedifferentiation. In vitro, CXCR4 was associated with a biliary phenotype and loss of hepatocyte features. Liver overexpression of CXCR4 in chronic liver injury decreased the hepatocyte-specific gene expression profile and promoted liver injury. CXCR4 deletion or its pharmacological inhibition ameliorated hepatocyte dedifferentiation and reduced DR and fibrosis progression. CONCLUSIONS This study shows the association of hepatocyte dedifferentiation with disease progression and poor outcome in AH. Moreover, the transcriptomic profiling of HB cells revealed CXCR4 as a new driver of hepatocyte-to-biliary reprogramming and as a potential therapeutic target to halt hepatocyte dedifferentiation in AH. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Here, we show that hepatocyte dedifferentiation is associated with disease severity and a reduced synthetic capacity of the liver. Moreover, we identify the CXCR4 pathway as a driver of hepatocyte dedifferentiation and as a therapeutic target in alcohol-related hepatitis. Therefore, this study reveals the importance of preserving strict control over hepatocyte plasticity in order to preserve liver function and promote tissue repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Aguilar-Bravo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Ariño
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Delia Blaya
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisa Pose
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - María U Latasa
- Hepatology Program, Liver Unit, Instituto de Investigación de Navarra (IdisNA), Clínica Universidad de Navarra and Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Celia Martínez-Sánchez
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Zanatto
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Sererols-Viñas
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Cantallops-Vilà
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Affo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Coll
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Thillen
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laurent Dubuquoy
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1286 - INFINITE - Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, Lille, France
| | - Matías A Avila
- Hepatology Program, Liver Unit, Instituto de Investigación de Navarra (IdisNA), Clínica Universidad de Navarra and Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josepmaria Argemi
- Hepatology Program, Liver Unit, Instituto de Investigación de Navarra (IdisNA), Clínica Universidad de Navarra and Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arantza Lamas Paz
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yulia A Nevzorova
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Cubero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramon Bataller
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain; Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Juan José Lozano
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pere Ginès
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philippe Mathurin
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1286 - INFINITE - Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, Lille, France
| | - Pau Sancho-Bru
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Chen F, Schönberger K, Tchorz JS. Distinct hepatocyte identities in liver homeostasis and regeneration. JHEP Rep 2023; 5:100779. [PMID: 37456678 PMCID: PMC10339260 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2023.100779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The process of metabolic liver zonation is spontaneously established by assigning distributed tasks to hepatocytes along the porto-central blood flow. Hepatocytes fulfil critical metabolic functions, while also maintaining hepatocyte mass by replication when needed. Recent technological advances have enabled us to fine-tune our understanding of hepatocyte identity during homeostasis and regeneration. Subsets of hepatocytes have been identified to be more regenerative and some have even been proposed to function like stem cells, challenging the long-standing view that all hepatocytes are similarly capable of regeneration. The latest data show that hepatocyte renewal during homeostasis and regeneration after liver injury is not limited to rare hepatocytes; however, hepatocytes are not exactly the same. Herein, we review the known differences that give individual hepatocytes distinct identities, recent findings demonstrating how these distinct identities correspond to differences in hepatocyte regenerative capacity, and how the plasticity of hepatocyte identity allows for division of labour among hepatocytes. We further discuss how these distinct hepatocyte identities may play a role during liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Chen
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | | | - Jan S. Tchorz
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
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