The role of hepatic epithelia in the resolution of human liver inflammation: translational approaches to inform drug discovery.

Pharmacological interventions can boost hepatocyte cell division and kick-start liver regeneration in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLD).
Aims. We will study liver regeneration in vitro and ex vivo in human livers from patients with end stage diseases and in donor livers rejected for transplantation. We will use:
i) high throughput imaging, measuring compound effects on hepatocyte viability, morphology, proliferation, apoptosis and
ii) the validated cauterisation injury model (ZS), to establish the role of therapeutics in the context of human inflammation.
iii) Quantitative and qualitative image analyses (UoB, UoN and AZ).
Outcomes. The student will train with clinician and basic scientists to perform assays on human liver explant tissues in drug discovery, learning from experts at AZ and the universities of Birmingham and Nottingham.