Liver regeneration: prospects for therapy based on new technologies.

The liver is an amazing organ because it can regenerate. The differentiated parenchymal cells, which do not normally divide, can undergo multiple rounds of cellular division. This brings into question the exact role of the liver stem-cell, which has not been fully characterized. The knowledge gained from the dissection of the basic molecular and cellular events that occur during hepatic regeneration will be useful for advancing therapeutic interventions for individuals with liver disease or genetic deficiencies. This article reviews the basic principles of liver regeneration, experimental manipulations in animal models, and human clinical applications including cellular transplantation, gene therapy and artificial livers.