Research | RUDNICK LAB
My lab is interested in understanding the
molecular signaling mechanisms that underlie the remarkable
regenerative potential of the liver.
In addition to liver mass being precisely regulated with respect
to animal size in health, the liver is also able to regenerate the
anatomic and functional deficits incurred by many forms of injury
or disease (e.g. toxin exposure, trauma, infection). Partial
hepatectomy in rodents has served as a useful experimental model
system with which to study the hepatic regenerative response to
injury. We have used this model system in mice treated with
pharmacolgical modulators or genetic manipulation of various
signal transduction pathways to further elucidate the signaling
mechanisms at work during regeneration. In addition we are
employing modern functional genomic and proteomic methodologies to
screen for and identify novel molecular components involved in the
regenerative response. Finally, we have also begun to examine
liver regeneration in animal models of human liver disease and we
are comparing the signaling events that modulate the response to
partial hepatectomy to those events at work in the setting of
liver diseases.
Our clinical experience suggests that the derangement of the
hepatic regenerative response in the setting of chronic liver
injuries can lead to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma.
Elucidation of the signaling mechanisms that modulate this hepatic
regenerative response should provide us with insight into hepatic
growth regulation in health and disease and also offer the
potential for further understanding of more general molecular
principles of growth regulation. Ultimately, such understanding
may lead to the development of novel therapeutic interventions to
prevent or reverse the outcomes of chronic liver disease.
Contact Information
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SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
