Two types of regenerative cell populations appear in acute liver injury.

Abstract

The liver has a robust regenerative capacity. However, the mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. Numerous studies on liver regeneration have been previously conducted using partial hepatectomy models, which may not fully represent acute liver injury with inflammation and necrosis. This is commonly observed in the majority of clinical cases. In this study, we conducted a single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of liver regeneration in acetaminophen-treated mice using publicly available data. We found that two distinct populations of regenerative cells simultaneously appeared within the same regenerative process. The two populations significantly differed in terms of cell morphology, differentiation, localization, proliferation rate, and signal response. Moreover, one of the populations was induced by contact with necrotic tissue and demonstrated a higher proliferative capacity with a dedifferentiated feature. These findings provide new insights into liver regeneration and therapeutic strategies for liver failure.