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Alchemy in the liver: fact or fusion?

After bone marrow transplantation, signs of donor cells appear in the liver of recipients. Two studies support the notion that these cells arise through cellular fusion with the liver, and identify the source: macrophages derived from hematopoietic stem cells. A third study examines another viewpoint, that donor cells differentiate directly into liver cells (pages 744–748).

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Figure 1: Fusion power.

Renee Lucas

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Daley, G. Alchemy in the liver: fact or fusion?. Nat Med 10, 671–672 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0704-671

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