A new study elevates our understanding of how the immune system regulates the pathogenesis of biliary atresia through a powerful single-cell approach. Cell-specific transcriptome analyses indicate key roles for macrophages, T cells and B cells in hepatobiliary injury of affected infants.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Bezerra, J. A. et al. Biliary atresia: clinical and research challenges for the twenty-first century. Hepatology 68, 1163–1173 (2018).
Bezerra, J. A. et al. Genetic induction of proinflammatory immunity in children with biliary atresia. Lancet 360, 1653–1659 (2002).
Shivakumar, P. et al. Obstruction of extrahepatic bile ducts by lymphocytes is regulated by IFN-gamma in experimental biliary atresia. J. Clin. Invest. 114, 322–329 (2004).
Asai, A., Miethke, A. & Bezerra, J. A. Pathogenesis of biliary atresia: defining biology to understand clinical phenotypes. Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 12, 342–352 (2015).
Bednarek, J. et al. Cytokine-producing B cells promote immune-mediated bile duct injury in murine biliary atresia. Hepatology 68, 1890–1904 (2018).
McHedlidze, T. et al. Interleukin-33-dependent innate lymphoid cells mediate hepatic fibrosis. Immunity 39, 357–371 (2013).
Wang, J. et al. Liver immune profiling reveals pathogenesis and therapeutics for biliary atresia. Cell 183, 1867–1883 (2020).
Holt, P. G. & Jones, C. A. The development of the immune system during pregnancy and early life. Allergy 55, 688–697 (2002).
Shivakumar, P. et al. Preferential TNFα signaling via TNFR2 regulates epithelial injury and duct obstruction in experimental biliary atresia. JCI Insight 2, e88747 (2017).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Russi, A.E., Bezerra, J.A. A single-cell view of biliary atresia. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 18, 219–220 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-021-00417-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-021-00417-5