Journal of Liver

Hippo signaling in liver development, homeostasis, and disease

2^nd International Conference on Hepatology

May 09-11, 2016 Chicago, USA

Randy L Johnson

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Liver

Abstract:

Hippo signaling is an evolutionarily conserved growth and organ size control pathway that has essential roles in embryogenesis, adult tissue homeostasis, and is frequently aberrantly regulated in pathological situations such as cancer. Our laboratory has been studying the role of Hippo signaling in regulating liver development, homeostasis, and disease. By using a combination of mouse models, in vitro differentiation assays and comparative genomics we have shown that Hippo signaling regulates liver progenitor cell differentiation during late gestation and early postnatal life, functions to maintain hepatocyte quiescence in the mature liver is a potent tumor suppressor pathway in mice and is frequently deregulated in human hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently we are focusing on identification of genes and pathways that cooperate with Hippo signaling to maintain homeostasis in the adult liver and to prevent malignant transformation. To that end we have carried out an in vivo mutagenesis screen and identified 81 candidate genes that work together with Hippo signaling to repress tumor formation and/or tumor progression in a mouse model for liver cancer. The design and results of our screen and analysis of interaction of Hippo signaling with selected genes will be discussed. Overall, our results highlight the Hippo signaling pathway as an essential modulator of liver development, homeostasis and disease.

Biography :

Email: rljohnso@mdanderson.org