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John P. Roberts, MD


John P. Roberts, M.D.

Professor & Chief,
Division of Transplant Surgery

 

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Transplant Surgery »  Faculty »  Holger Willenbring, M.D.

Holger F. Willenbring, M.D.

Assistant Professor, Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and Department of Surgery

Contact Information

(415) 476-2417 Office

(415) 514-2346 Facsimile

willenbringh@stemcell.ucsf.edu

Education

  • University of Münster, Germany, 05/1996-12/96
  • Medical University Lübeck, Germany, 10/1989-07/95
  • Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, M.D., 10/1989-07/95

Residencies

  • University of Münster, Germany, Department of Pediatrics, Medical Intern, 02/1997-07/98
  • University of Münster, Germany, Department of Pediatrics, Medical Resident, 08/1998-09/01

Fellowships

Postdoctoral Training

  • Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Postdoctoral Fellow, 10/2001-10/05

Board Certification

Program Affiliations

Clinical Expertise

Research Interests

  • Hepatocyte-targeted Cell Fusion
  • Regenerative Therapies of Liver Diseases
  • Immune-compatible Embryonic Stem Cells

 

Website LInks

Biography

Complex differentiation and facultative regenerative abilities are hallmarks of hepatocytes, the cells of the liver that provide its manifold functions. We are interested in identifying key regulators of these programs in order to direct the functional differentiation of immature cells from abundant cell sources which could then be used for therapy of diseases impairing hepatocyte function. In addition, this knowledge may provide a means to restore or unlock the functional and regenerative capabilities of ailing hepatocytes or other differentiated cell types, respectively. Hepatocytes derive from liver progenitors which expand and commit to one of two possible cell fates during late embryonic development. We aim to obtain a detailed understanding of these processes which we believe is essential for their recapitulation in cells intended for transplantation.

Intriguingly, hepatocyte progenitor cell characteristics could explain why liver cancers are refractory to therapy and we are therefore interested in identifying and isolating the cells that give rise to liver cancer. The ability to track the emergence and development of these cells in vivo will facilitate specific analyses of the molecular mechanisms involved in liver cancer formation. Understanding the biology of liver cancer initiation would potentially enable early detection and effective eradication.

Selected Publications

Selected Publications

  1. Bailey AS, Willenbring H, Jiang S, Anderson DA, Schroeder DA, Wong MH, Grompe M, Fleming WH. Myeloid lineage progenitors give rise to vascular endothelium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Aug 29;103(35):13156-61.
  2. Vogel A, Aslan JE, Willenbring H, Klein C, Finegold M, Mount H, Thomas G, Grompe M. Sustained phosphorylation of Bid is a marker for resistance to Fas-induced apoptosis during chronic liver diseases. Gastroenterology. 2006 Jan;130(1):104-19.
  3. Willenbring H, Bailey AS, Foster M, Akkari Y, Dorrell C, Olson S, Finegold M, Fleming WH, Grompe M. Myelomonocytic cells are sufficient for therapeutic cell fusion in liver. Nat Med. 2004 Jul;10(7):744-8.
  4. Wang X, Willenbring H, Akkari Y, Torimaru Y, Foster M, Al-Dhalimy M, Lagasse E, Finegold M, Olson S, Grompe M. Cell fusion is the principal source of bone-marrow-derived hepatocytes. Nature. 2003 Apr 24;422(6934):897-901. Epub 2003 Mar 30.