Liver and Pancreas Renewal by Cell Division

Liver and pancreas tissues can renew themselves through cell division, even when stem cells are not the main repair source. After tissue damage, some organs rely on resident stem cells to help rebuild lost cells. In the liver and pancreas, however, pre-existing cells can also take part in repair.

Some differentiated cell types like beta cells of the pancreas or hepatocytes of the liver can divide to renew and regenerate the tissue without using stem cells. This is interesting because differentiated cells have restricted cell division capacity and cannot replenish the entire organ.

The beta cells are the insulin-producing cells pre...