Liver Renewed by Telomerase-Expressing Stem Cells

The liver’s amazing ability to repair itself is the stuff of legend and, increasingly, scientific understanding. A new study, for example, has found that liver repair is aided by a diffuse population of rare stem cells. These stem cells produce elevated levels of telomerase, a protein often associated with resistance to aging. In addition, these stem cells express fewer metabolic genes, perhaps to avoid the wear and tear sustained by other liver cell populations.The new findings, which wer