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Jorge A. Bezerra, MD
Professor; Director, Digestive Health Center
Director, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Medical Director, Pediatric Liver Care Center
William and Rebecca Balistreri Chair of Pediatric Hepatology
Department of Pediatrics; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition
Description of Research:
Dr. Bezerra investigates regulatory mechanisms of liver and biliary injury. One major research focus is preclinical and translational research on biliary atresia, the most common cause of chronic liver disease in
children. He has used large-scale expression arrays and bioinformatics to develop transcriptional maps for
human and murine biliary atresia, and tested hypotheses regarding mechanisms of disease using unique in
vitro and experimental models of disease. Studies have identified key regulatory functions for hepatic dendritic
cells, CD8+ and NK lymphocytes, and neutrophils in injury of cholangiocytes. Recent experiments identified a
key role for type 2-innate lymphoid cells in the secretion of growth promoting agents that induce cholangiocyte
proliferation, and epithelial repair (see figure below). In translational studies, he is developing genetic and
protein biomarkers of biliary injury and chronic cholestasis in children. He is also the Center PI for trial testing
the efficacy of sofosbovir in children with chronic HBV infection.
Proposed Collaborations and Core Use:
Dr. Bezerra collaborates with Drs. Aronow, Miethke, Shivakumar and Tiao in patient- and animal-based
experiments to interrogate the pathogenic mechanisms of biliary atresia. He also collaborates with Dr. Ridgway
studying mechanisms of biliary injury in models of primary biliary cirrhosis and with Dr. Balistreri in anti-HCV
and anti-HBV trials. Projection of Core use: Gene Analysis, Integrative Morphology and Pluripotent Stem Cell
and Organoid Cores, and the Clinical Component.
Representative Figure:
Epithelial and fibrogenic response induced by
IL-33. The presence of IL-33 activates type 2
innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) to release IL-13,
which induces cholangiocyte proliferation in
the neighboring epithelium of extrahepatic bile
ducts. In the liver, the IL-33/ILC2/IL-13 circuit
activates the profibrogenic phenotype of
hepatic stellate cells. EHBD=extrahepatic bile
ducts. Figure from Nat Rev Gastroenterol
2015;May 25
Epithelial and fibrogenic response induced by
IL-33. The presence of IL-33 activates type 2
innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) to release IL-13,
which induces cholangiocyte proliferation in
the neighboring epithelium of extrahepatic bile
ducts. In the liver, the IL-33/ILC2/IL-13 circuit
activates the profibrogenic phenotype of
hepatic stellate cells. EHBD=extrahepatic bile
ducts. Figure from Nat Rev Gastroenterol
2015;May 25