Publication by Pantasis et al.: Vertebrate lonesome kinase modulates the hepatocytesecretome to prevent perivascular liver fibrosis and inflammation.

Vertebrate lonesome kinase (VLK) is the only known extracellular tyrosine kinase, but its physiological functions are largely unknown. Pantasis et al. generated and characterized mice lacking VLK in hepatocytes. They demonstrate that hepatocyte-derived VLK and extracellular protein phosphorylation are of key relevance for liver homeostasis and repair through paracrine control of liver cell function and prevention of abnormal collagen deposition.