The Homeobox Transcription Factor Prox1 is Absent from the Induced Oval Cells During Rat Liver Regeneration

Aims: In cases of liver injury, when the hepatocytes' ability to repair the damage, is severely held back, this function might be undertaken by undifferentiated progenitor cells, the so-called oval cells. In vitro, under appropriate conditions, these cells might differentiate into both hepatocytes and bile duct epithelial cells. Prox1, a homeobox transcription factor, takes an important role in embryonic liver development, although it remains expressed in hepatocytes of the adult liver as well; but it is absent from the bile duct epithelial cells. In current study Prox1 expression was examined in the oval cells…