Biological validation of human liver somatic mutations

The liver’s ability to regrow after injury depends on specific genes that allow liver cells to multiply, but scientists do not yet know which genes control this process or how they work together. This project aims to fill that gap. The researcher will compare healthy livers with those damaged by end-stage disease, looking for genetic changes that drive regeneration. Using stem cells grown into liver cells in the lab, they will test how different genes interact to control cell division. The work is fundamental science—it seeks to understand the basic molecular machinery of liver repair, not to test a treatment tomorrow. If successful, the research could eventually lead to new therapies for liver disease. Understanding the genetic switches that trigger regeneration might allow scientists to grow replacement liver cells in the laboratory for transplantation, or to design drugs that stimulate the liver to repair itself in patients with cirrhosis. These applications are years away, but the same kind of fundamental genetic work has previously unlocked treatments for other chronic diseases.