The liver can precisely regulate its growth and mass. Surgical resection of hepatic lobes or
hepatocyte loss caused by viral or chemical injury triggers hepatocyte replication while
enlarged liver mass is corrected by apoptosis. Hepatocytes have a great replicative capacity
and are capable of repopulating the liver. However,“stem-like” cells proliferate when
hepatocyte replication is blocked or delayed. Detailed studies of the mechanisms that
regulate liver growth have been done in animals subjected to partial hepatectomy or …