New CRC publication in Gut:
Reactive cholangiocyte-derived ORM2 drives a pathogenic modulation of the injured biliary niche through macrophage reprogramming
In this study, the CRC1382 team working on project B05, revealed the roles of the cholangiocyte-derived ORM2 protein in re-shaping the portal niche during liver diseases.
Cholangiocytes are epithelial cells lining the intrahepatic bile ducts, and their roles in liver diseases is increasingly recognized. This study identified ORM2 as an acute phase protein released by stressed cholangiocytes as part of the ductular reaction, a process accompanying chronic liver disease progression also in conditions associated with gut disorders such as primary sclerosing cholangitis and the associated Mdr2-deficient mice. ORM2 then influences liver macrophage phenotypes to drive a pathogenic remodelling of the biliary niche. Besides providing insights into the cellular crosstalk involved in liver diseases, this manuscript highlights some technologies developed as part of the projects running within the CRC1382, namely multiplex immunofluorescence and advanced image analysis tools, as well as in vitro liver-on-a-chip systems.
This project was conducted with the active contributions of the CRC1382 Ph.D. students Guo Yin and Natalja Amiridze, as well as principal investigators Frank Tacke and Adrien Guillot.