Damon Runyon Researchers

Dr. Nusse [Robert Black Fellow] studies how immune cells contribute to liver regeneration after injury. Injuries to mammalian tissues are typically repaired through a stepwise process of inflammation and debris clearance, followed by proliferation of progenitor cells and tissue reorganization. During chronic injury, this process can malfunction leading to excessive inflammation, uncontrolled tissue growth and cancer initiation. Dr. Nusse is investigating the role of eosinophils, a type of disease-fighting white blood cell, in liver damage and repair using mouse genetics and imaging within living tissues. This project aims to uncover how liver cancers arise from chronic liver damage and may also reveal insight into other forms of cancer.