BACKGROUND: Biliary atresia (BA) is a devastating cholangiopathy, characterized by onset of persistent cholestatic jaundice during the neonatal period. The etiology of BA remains incompletely understood and is considered multifactorial. Recent evidence has identified that the long non-coding RNA H19 (H19) is among the critical regulators involved in this pathological process. This review summarizes the current understanding of the H19 in the pathogenesis of BA. DISCUSSION: diverse signaling pathways. By integrating and amplifying injury signals, H19 ultimately exacerbates inflammatory responses and fibrotic processes, driving the development and progression of BA. Additionally, emerging evidence suggests that certain traditional Chinese medicines exert anti-fibrotic effects by targeting H19, further highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target. CONCLUSION: This review comprehensively and systematically delineates the key regulatory network of H19 in BA, highlighting its translational potential as a novel therapeutic target and laying a theoretical foundation for future mechanistic exploration and clinical translation.
Zhao et al. (Thu,) studied this question.