The multitasking behavior of cholangiocyte in the reaction to liver damage

Cholangiocytes are the epithelial cells lining the bile ducts. Within the wide functional heterogeneity displayed by cholangiocytes through the different portions of the biliary tree, ductular cells of the finest peripheral ramifications, in strict contact with the canals of Hering, possess a reactive phenotype. This phenotype is essential for generating the hepatic reparative system, a multicellular complex including epithelial, mesenchymal and inflammatory cells, whereby they extensively communicate by mutually exchanging a variety of paracrine signals. Herein, we review the most recent insights on the molecular mechanisms underlying the ability of reactive cholangiocytes to orchestrate the development of this sort of ‘multiethnic society’, whose persistent activation is a critical determinant of liver disease progression