University of California San Francisco

Willenbring Lab- Homepage

Holger Willenbring, MD, PhD 354x210

Holger Willenbring MD, PhD

Professor of Surgery
Member, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research
Associate Director, Liver Center

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Stem Cell-Based Approaches to Treating Severe Liver Disease

The liver can regenerate, but this ability is lost in chronic liver disease. Because donor organs for liver transplantation are sparse, our goal is to establish novel means of liver regeneration. For example, we are working to develop liver cell therapy with hepatocytes derived from pluripotent stem cells. For this, we are using signals that regulate the proliferation and differentiation of primary liver stem/progenitor cells to convert pluripotent stem cells into therapeutically effective and expandable hepatocytes. In addition to losing its regenerative capacity, the diseased liver undergoes scarring and develops cancer. Another goal of our laboratory is to understand the mechanisms that lead to liver cancer formation, in particular with regard to the role of liver stem/progenitor cells.

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Featured News
PubMed Willenbring Homepage

Aquaporin 9 induction in human iPSC-derived hepatocytes facilitates modeling of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency.
2021 | PubMed

Featured Publications

  1. Adipocyte inflammation is the primary driver of hepatic insulin resistance in a human iPSC-based microphysiological system.
    2024 | PubMed
  2. Human Hepatocytes Can Give Rise to Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinomas.
    2024 | PubMed
  3. Modeling and therapeutic targeting of inflammation-induced hepatic insulin resistance using human iPSC-derived hepatocytes and macrophages.
    2023 | PubMed
  4. Human iPSC-Derived Proinflammatory Macrophages cause Insulin Resistance in an Isogenic White Adipose Tissue Microphysiological System.
    2023 | PubMed
  5. Reply.
    2022 | PubMed