Reduced plasminogen levels enhance liver regeneration in mice after surgery

The liver is one of the few organs capable of regenerating after surgery—a remarkable ability that makes lifesaving procedures possible for thousands of patients each year. But not every liver regenerates as expected. Some patients develop post-hepatectomy liver failure, a serious complication that remains a leading cause of death after liver surgery. Now, a discovery by a Michigan State University researcher is challenging a long-held belief about how the liver repairs itself after surgery.