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Hepatocyte growth factor: clinical implications in hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery
Author(s) -
Kaido Toshimi,
Imamura Masayuki
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of hepato‐biliary‐pancreatic surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.63
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1868-6982
pISSN - 0944-1166
DOI - 10.1007/s005340170052
Subject(s) - hepatocyte growth factor , cirrhosis , liver regeneration , cancer research , growth factor , liver transplantation , biology , transplantation , regeneration (biology) , economic shortage , medicine , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , linguistics , philosophy , government (linguistics)
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), originally identified as the most potent mitogen for hepatocytes, is now known to be a cytokine with numerous functions in a wide variety of cells. HGF transduces its various activities via a receptor encoded by the c‐ met proto‐oncogene and coupled to a number of transducers integrating the HGF signal inside the target cells. Extensive investigation has revealed that HGF has various beneficial effects, especially for liver. HGF significantly stimulates regeneration in damaged, as well as in normal liver, ameliorates hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis; and attenuates various types of liver dysfunction in animals. Moreover, the fascinating data on HGF in experimental liver and islet transplantation suggest that the use of HGF may represent a breakthrough for reducing the shortage of donor livers, and increasing the success rate of insulin independence after islet transplantation. Further understanding of the biological significance of HGF, including that in carcinogenesis, will undoubtedly have important clinical implications in hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery.