A genetic screen reveals Foxa3 and TNFR1 as key regulators of liver repopulation

Abstract

The fundamental question of which genes are most important in controlling liver regeneration remains unanswered. We employed a parallel screen to test the impact of 43 selected genes on liver repopulation in the Fah(-/-) mouse model of hereditary tyrosinemia. We discovered that the transcription factor Foxa3 was a strong promoter of liver regeneration, while tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) was the most significant suppressor of repopulation among all of the genes tested. Our approach enabled the identification of these factors as important regulators of liver repopulation and potential drug targets for the promotion of liver repopulation.