Hepatocyte-derived extracellular vesicles regulate liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy.

While significant progress has been made in understanding different aspects of liver regeneration, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the initiation and termination of cell proliferation in the liver after massive loss or injury of liver tissue remain unknown. The loss of liver mass affects tissue-specific mitogenic inhibitors in the blood, which in turn regulate the proliferation of remaining hepatocytes and liver regeneration. Although well described in a number of publications, which inhibitory substances or "sensor molecules" control the regeneration mechanisms to properly maintain liver size remain unknown. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized, membrane-limited structures secreted by cells into the extracellular space. Their proposed role is stable intercellular carriers of proteins and RNAs, mostly micro-RNA, from secreted to recipient cells. Taken up by the recipient cells, EVs can significantly modulate their biological functions. In the present study, using