Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40490318›Full record

ReviewGut2025

Heterogeneity and plasticity of cholangiocytes in liver injury: a journey from pathophysiology to therapeutic utility.

Chengtao Lou, Tianchen Lan, Shengjun Xu, Xinhao Hu, Jiarui Li, Ze Xiang, Shengda Lin, Xiaohui Fan, Jian Chen, Xiao Xu

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Gut, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Biliary atresia-related liver fibrosis.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Next-Generation Hydrogels for Biliary Organoid Engineering.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Review
  9. Article
  10. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Chengtao Lou *Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Tianchen Lan *Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Shengjun Xu *Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Xinhao HuZhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Jiarui LiZhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Ze XiangZhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Shengda LinLife Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6629-0659
Xiaohui FanCollege of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6336-3007
Jian ChenDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China zjxu@zju.edu.cn zju_chenjian@zju.edu.cn.
Xiao XuDepartment of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China zjxu@zju.edu.cn zju_chenjian@zju.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2761-2811

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cholangiocytes are highly specialised cells participating in the pathobiology of various liver diseases and recognised to play a crucial role in response to liver injury. Cholangiocytes exhibit dramatic heterogeneity and plasticity, with distinct subtypes performing disparate functions during liver injury and regeneration. Acting as the liver progenitor cells, cholangiocytes can also convert to hepatocytes in the context of impaired hepatocyte proliferation. Harnessing the intrinsic regenerative ability of cholangiocytes is of great importance to alleviate liver injury and promote cholangiocyte-driven liver regeneration. Clinically, cholangiocytes and cholangiocyte organoids are expected to serve as favourable sources for cell therapy in cholangiopathies, which are known as a group of complex diseases involving the biliary system while lacking effective therapeutic options. A comprehensive understanding of the biological characteristics of cholangiocytes provides insights into developing cholangiocyte cell therapy for cholangiopathies. In this review, we discuss the critical role of cholangiocytes in liver injury and regeneration, reveal the underlying mechanism of cholangiocyte plasticity, and explore the prospects and challenges of using cholangiocytes as a source for cell therapy.

Indexed as

BILIARY EPITHELIUMLIVER REGENERATION

Identifiers

PMID40490318
PMCPMC13151499

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.