Recently, it has been shown in several animal models that more than 90% of host hepatocytes can be replaced by a small number of transplanted donor cells in a process we term therapeutic liver repopulation. This phenomenon is analogous to repopulation of the hematopoietic system after bone marrow transplantation. Liver repopulation occurs when transplanted cells have a growth advantage in the setting of damage to recipient liver cells. Here we review the current knowledge of this process and discuss the hopeful implications for treatment of liver diseases.
hepatocyte transplantation - liver repopulation - gene therapy - liver stem cell
