Tianliang Sun, PhD

Pilot Research Award
$50,000 over one year

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Cholangiocyte Plasticity in Chronic Liver Disease and Repair

Chronic liver diseases, such as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), can lead to progressive liver scarring, liver failure, and ultimately transplantation. During chronic liver disease, bile duct cells, known as cholangiocytes, dynamically expand and change their properties in response to injury. These changes can support tissue repair and recovery, but when dysregulated, they can also contribute to persistent inflammation and fibrosis. Our proposed studies aim to uncover how distinct cholangiocyte populations contribute to disease progression and recovery, paving the way for new therapeutic strategies that promote the liver’s natural capacity for repair.