Hepatocyte growth factor mediates a novel form of hepatic stem/progenitor cell-induced tolerance in a rat xenogeneic liver rejection model

•Adult mouse liver-derived, novel neural/glial antigen 2-expressing hepatic stem/progenitor cells (NG2+ HSPs) show therapeutic potential in preventing acute rejection of a liver xenograft.•The effect of NG2+ HSP cells is mediated by secretion of hepatic growth factor (HGF) by these cells.•Both the HGF-secreting NG2+ HSP cells and clinically used HGF (cHGF) specifically target xeno-reactive CD8+ T cells to induce these cell apoptosis via the tyrosine kinase receptor, cMet, the only receptor for HGF, thus establishing tolerance.