Setting liver regeneration free

Abstract

Liver Disease The mammalian liver has considerable regenerative capacity. After acute severe injury, as occurs in acetaminophen (paracetamol or Tylenol) poisoning, liver regeneration and recovery may fail. Bird et al. show that senescence, which is classically associated with aging and carcinogenesis, prevents liver cell proliferation and reduces the liver's regenerative capacity after acute injury. Senescence spreads from cell to cell through signaling by transforming growth factor–β (TGFβ). When TGFβ signaling was blocked during acetaminophen poisoning in mice, senescence was impeded, regeneration accelerated, and mouse survival increased—thus presenting an attractive therapeutic approach for liver regeneration. Sci. Transl. Med. 10 , eaan1230 (2018).