Blood Holds Key to Liver Regeneration

March 8, 2019

James Luyendyk The liver is the only organ in the body that can regenerate. But some patients who undergo a liver resection, a surgery that removes a diseased portion of the organ, end up needing a transplant because the renewal process doesn’t work.

A new Michigan State University study, published in the journal Blood, shows that the blood-clotting protein fibrinogen may hold the key as to why this happens.

“We discovered that fibrinogen accumulates within the remaining liver quickly after surgery and tells platelets to act as first responders, triggering the earliest phase of regeneration,” said James Luyendyk, a professor of pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. “But if fibrinogen or platelets are inhibited, then regeneration is delayed.”