Hepatic cell division and tissue repair: a key to survival after liver injury.

The survival of patients suffering from severe liver damage depends heavily on the ability of the remaining hepatocytes to regenerate and replace the dead or dying cells; death usually occurs when the regenerating ability of the liver is compromised owing to heavy damage to the liver. The current approach to therapy aims only to block additional liver injury from hepatotoxicants or hepatic disease. If hepatocellular regeneration and tissue repair could be stimulated after hepatic damage by a therapeutically compatible mechanism, then it might be possible to prevent death arising from serious liver injury.