The liver is the only organ in the body that can regenerate.
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.”
Platelets are blood cells that help form clots and stop bleeding. When they receive information from fibrinogen, they go into action and accumulate in the remaining part of the liver to help restore it, increasing the chances of a fully functional liver and successful recovery.
Read more at Michigan State University
Image: James Luyendyk, a professor of pathobiology in the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, has shown in a new study that the blood-clotting protein fibrinogen may hold the key to liver regeneration. (Credit: Michigan State University)
