CXC chemokine signaling in the liver: Impact on repair and regeneration

The process of liver repair and regeneration following hepatic injury is complex and relies on a temporally coordinated integration of several key signaling pathways. Pathways activated by members of the CXC family of chemokines play important roles in the mechanisms of liver repair and regeneration through their effects on hepatocytes. However, little is known about the signaling pathways used by CXC chemokine receptors in hepatocytes. Here we review our current understanding of the pathways involved in both CXC chemokine receptor signaling in other cell types, most notably neutrophils, and similar pathways operant during hepatocyte proliferation/liver regeneration to formulate a basis for the function of CXC chemokine receptor signaling in hepatocytes.