Embryonic development of liver and its future implications

Abstract

Liver is the organ per excellence and its’ development keep pace with the homeostatic needs of the growing embryo and fetus. The growth and maturation of human liver, as an organ, keeps pace with the structural and metabolic needs of the developing fetus and is responsive to the highly dynamic milieu that fetal growth entail. Understanding aspects of this development, including its’ regulation, is an intriguingly important matter in molecular and cell biology. Aberrations in development can give rise to human diseases that have health impact. More importantly, liver is the abode for a variety of stem cells - both for the bone marrow derived that are pluripotent and home to the liver as well as the hepatic progenitor cells (HPC) that are more differentiated, oval cells - playing roles in hepatocyte regeneration and response to injury. Development of the liver entail organization of the micro and macro elements of this organ in a simplistic view. More consequential of understanding this mechanism would be to serve as a reserve source for replenishment and refurbishment of the organ in times of repair and replacement during liver injury and cell loss. Everyday, we are learning this with greater precision and with the advent of molecular tools as well as refinements in cell biology, understanding of normal and abnormal development of the liver is fairly robust now. This has implications that extend far beyond just enrichment of the knowledge. Understanding the process of development might enable us to create new cell therapies- growing tissues ex vivo for use in transplantation or for coaxing cells in vivo to acquire characteristics that can restore function in disease states.