LIVER-REGENERATION - PROSPECTS FOR THERAPY BASED ON NEW TECHNOLOGIES

The liver is an amazing organ because it can regenerate. The different iated parenchymal cells, which do not normally divide, can undergo mul tiple 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 ce llular events that occur during hepatic regeneration will be useful fo r advancing therapeutic interventions for individuals with liver disea se or genetic deficiencies. This article reviews the basic principles of liver regeneration, experimental manipulations in animal models, an d human clinical applications including cellular transplantation, gene therapy and artificial livers.