Fig. 1: Model of liver regeneration or HCC development by hepatic progenitor cell expansion or hepatocyte dedifferentiation following liver injury/damage.

a The liver consists of hexagonal liver lobules. b In the normal liver, regeneration occurs by compensatory proliferation of hepatic progenitor cells. However, in chronic liver diseases, dedifferentiation of mature hepatocytes can be induced. Tumor-initiating cells can promote the development of HCC through oncogenic proliferation.