Bile ducts

Deciphering the complex circuitry of liver homeostasis and repair is required to improve regenerative therapies for hepatic diseases. Studies in 2018 have identified subsets of hepatic cells that have unique reparative abilities and clarified the role of biomechanical forces and hepatobiliary reprogramming as sustainable modes of tissue repair.

A new report in Science by Ma and colleagues uncovers the interplay of microbiota-controlled bile acid metabolism and immune responses in the context of primary and metastatic liver tumours in mice. Their findings shed light on the gut–liver axis in hepatic malignancies.

Bipotential hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) are recognized as making modest contributions to hepatocyte regeneration, though never credited with major liver repopulation. A new study in mice demonstrates HPCs can make a massive contribution to hepatocyte replacement, suggesting HPCs have the potential to be an effective cell therapy for liver failure.