Udayan Apte, PhD
Associate Professor
Dept. of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics
University of Kansas Medical Center
"The Many Faces of HNF4alpha: Role in Liver Injury, Regeneration, Cancer and Environmental Hepatotoxicity”
Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 alpha (HNF4a) is an omnidextrous transcription factor capable of inducing hepatocyte differentiation and proliferation. It regulates a large percentage of hepatocyte-specific genes, making it the master regulator of hepatic differentiation. Recent studies from our group show that HNF4a can inhibit hepatocyte proliferation, suppress tumors and terminate liver regeneration. We have developed an HNF4a target gene signature that has outstanding prognostic value in chronic liver diseases. Finally, we observed that HNF4a is a molecular target for a number of environmental contaminants that affect the liver. These functions highlight the pleiotropic role of HNF4a in liver health.
