The role of cellular migration in the repair process of gastric epithelialcells

The epithelial cells of stomach are continuously exposed to various toxic a gents that may cause mucosal injury. The epithelial lining is rapidly repla ced by cells that migrate from the proliferative zone of the gastric gland, to maintain the integrity of the gastric mucosa. Thus, cell migration is a n essential part of the early process of gastric mucosal repair. After vari ous forms of gastric injury, mucosal integrity is reestablished by the rapi d migration of epithelial cells. However, the cellular mechanisms of the re stitution remain unclear to date. In this report, we will review the role o f cellular migration in the repair process of gastric epithelial cells in c ulture. It has been reported that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has the po tency of acceleration of cellular repair process. In this review, we also r eport that HGF plays a leading role in the mucosal repair after damage by u sing a novel cell culture model. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.