New study unlocks mysteries of liver’s self-regeneration abilities

European scientists have identified a protein complex that acts as a molecular switch to trigger the self-regeneration abilities of the liver.

The liver is one of the few human organs with this useful ability, a fact that was previously a biological mystery, but a team from the University of Copenhagen and the Finsen Laboratory has found that this specific protein complex is changed upon damage to the liver, triggering a self-renewal cycle in the liver cells known as hepatocytes.

When selected genes within these cells are activated, division and replication of the hepatocytes becomes possible once again, a process that does not interfere with their metabolic functions.

The ability of these cells to regenerate themselves suggests that they could be researched as a possible alternative to stem cells, while this process could also be linked to the development of cancers.

Lead investigator and clinic head Professor Bo Porse said: "This may point to ways of using ordinary liver cells for therapeutic purposes, as these cells may be easier to use than stem cells."

These findings could also prove relevant to sufferers of liver diseases, of whom there are around two million in the UK.