Remodeling of the extracellular matrix is a requirement for the hepatic progenitor cell response

In advanced liver damage, hepatic regeneration can occur through the proliferation of a resident hepatic progenitor cell (HPC) population. Extra-cellular matrix (ECM) laminin invariably surrounds HPCs, but the functional requirement of this matrix-cell association is untested in vivo. Here, the authors test the relationship between collagen degradation, laminin deposition, and the HPC response. Failure of ECM remodeling after chronic fibrotic liver injury hinders the ability of the liver to activate HPCs. Laminin-progenitor cell interactions within the HPC niche are critical for HPC mediated regeneration.