A transient hepatic stem cell observed after liver injury with a high nuclear to cytoplasm ratio that can differentiate into mature hepatocytes and bile duct cells. Arises from more than one tissue. [ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17901986 ]
Synonyms: hepatic oval cell hepatic progenitor cell liver progenitor cell
Term information
- FMA:86576
- BTO:0004270
human_reference_atlas
Liver progenitor cells have been variously named in rodent and human studies as oval cells, hepatic progenitor cells, liver stem cells, ductular reactions, or atypical ductular cells. They were first described as oval cells in rats due to their large nuclear-to-cytoplasm ratio and oval-shaped nuclei. On the difference between 'hepatic liver stem cells' (HLSC) and 'oval cells': "... unlike a well-known hepatic progenitor cell population, known as oval cells in rodents, HLSCs do not express CK-7, CK-19, c-kit, CD133 and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) (Gaudio et al., 2009)".