A joint research team led by Professors Wang Shengpeng, Yuan Zuyi, and Zhang Xufeng from the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU), in collaboration with Professor Zhou Bin from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, recently published a paper titled Zonated mechanosensing by PIEZO1 controls liver regeneration in the journal Science. This marks the first time a research outcome from the First Affiliated Hospital of XJTU has appeared in the main issue of Science.

From a novel biomechanical perspective, the study reveals a previously unknown mechanism governing organ regeneration by systematically identifying a key mechanosensor and its mechanosensitive Zone 2 cell subpopulation during liver regeneration.

The researchers discovered that DPP4+ hepatocytes in Zone 2, due to their high expression of the mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO1, can sense localized increases in tissue stiffness and tension following liver injury. This triggers a proliferative cascade via the NFATC3-IGFBP2 signaling axis, making these cells the primary drivers of liver repair and regeneration.

These findings not only address a long-standing mystery surrounding the spatial compartmentalization of liver regeneration from a fresh angle, but also offer potential therapeutic targets for regenerative therapies in patients with chronic liver disease.

Professors Wang Shengpeng, Yuan Zuyi, and Zhang Xufeng from the First Affiliated Hospital of XJTU, along with Professor Zhou Bin from the CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, are co-corresponding authors of the paper. Doctoral student Zhang Ying from the First Affiliated Hospital of XJTU is the first author. The research was also supported by Professors Xu Guangkui, Yan Yang, Wu Yue, and Associate Professor Chang Zhuo from XJTU.