Liver repopulation and regeneration: new approaches to old questions

Significant recent developments have occurred in the field of liver regeneration. Although the regenerative response to partial hepatectomy has been studied extensively, in recent years the use of new experimental approaches has incorporated a fresh look that may lead to a better understanding of hepatocyte dysfunction and regeneration.

Liver injury promotes the regenerative responses that are relatively rare in healthy livers. Current research efforts focus on the mechanisms of hepatocyte adaptation in response to liver injury. We will discuss how hepatic aneuploidy and polyploidy contributes to liver regeneration, as well as new modalities to study cellular interactions using the organ-specific microenvironment.

High mortality is generally limited to patients who develop terminal liver failure, which occurs when regenerative responses are unable to compensate for liver injury. Cellular adaptations and organ microenvironment changes are present during disease processes. This review aims to provide insights into the innovative approaches taken to investigate regeneration in liver diseases.