It is known that the liver has great regenerative capacities. What we do not know yet is how these regenerative abilities work. Knowing this could affect the lives of those who have severely damaged livers, for example, those who suffer from hepatitis C, cirrhosis or liver cancer. Many proteins that induce the regeneration of organs have been identified and scientists are now trying to re-grow organs by stimulating these proteins.
The experiment was done with two groups of mice. One group consisted of mice at various stages of embryonic development, while the second was composed of adult mice in which two thirds of their liver was removed. With specific techniques, scientists were able to list all the proteins that help in cell growth and proliferation in both groups.
The result was that only some proteins were present in both groups. Proteins called transcription factors, which affect the DNA in the cell nucleus, were very involved in the development of embryonic livers but not in adult livers where regeneration was involved. Instead, proteins that help cells to proliferate were active in both liver types: in the livers in development as well as those in the regenerative phase. Since the transcription factors were not present in regenerating livers, it might be easier to stimulate liver regeneration by activating only the other identified proteins.
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