Liver regeneration and aging: A review

Abstract

With the advance of age, a clinically significant change is a marked decline in the rate of hepatic regeneration. Many studies described the mechanisms involved in the hepatic regenerative process with experimental procedures such as partial hepatectomy. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in liver regeneration due to partial hepatectomy and the effects of aging on these mechanisms. We used PubMed, MEDLINE and Scholar Google databases investigating the following keywords without restrictions: liver, regeneration, aging. We included research studies (animal and humans) and reviews published in English language that were related to the liver regeneration and the process of aging. The regeneration on liver involves multiple cellular processes and a complex interaction with cytokines and growth factors. The aging process affects liver causing a delay on its regeneration. In a clinical setting, the decline of hepatic regenerative capacity could be considered an important concern, because most of the elderly use different medications which could provide a liver injury, as well as, one of the methods used to remove neoplastic cells is the partial hepatectomy which depends of the individual regenerative capacity.