Molecular and cellular control points in pediatric liver injury and repair

Several exciting areas of cellular and molecular biology of the liver have led to a better understanding of the mechanisms of pediatric liver injury and repair. Soon these advances will lead to treatment options for specialized areas of pediatric hepatology. Most of the current goals of surgical therapy lead to either successful hepatic resection for tumors or biliary decompression for atresia. We have come to accept the unfortunate fact that ongoing chronic liver disease ultimately leads to replacement by transplantation. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate areas of recent basic science advancement, directly related to pediatric liver disease, that may provide opportunities and new strategies to obviate the progression from early injury to end-stage liver disease or to augment repair of the injured liver.