Bone Marrow Derived Adult Liver Stem Cell Recruitment After Major Liver Resections: Correlation With Liver Regeneration and Hepatic Function

The results of this study may or may not establish useful baseline data, which will help us understand how bone marrow derived adult liver stem cells behave in normal healthy adults/volunteers (the control group), and in patients undergoing liver surgery. The bone marrow is located within your bones and is the organ which is responsible to produce blood cells and stem cells. Bone marrow derived adult liver stem cells are normal cells in your bone marrow. These liver stem cells have the capacity to regenerate or in other words to rebuild the liver after liver surgery, a process called liver regeneration. These cells are very important for the liver to regrow its tissue after liver surgery. These cells are thought to be activated in times of need by the liver. Situations like liver surgery are one of these occasions when the liver will need the "extra help" from these stem cells. The results of this study will establish the baseline data necessary for the understanding of how to harness the ability of these stem cells in times of liver surgery. Improvements in the ability of the liver to regrow after surgery is thought to decrease complications related to liver surgery. Harnessing this unique ability of stem cells may be utilized in the future to enhance the regrowing process of liver tissue after liver surgery, called liver regeneration.