A team of researchers has uncovered a previously unknown compensatory mechanism found in liver disease. If Kupffer cells (KCs), a specific kind of immune cells found in the liver, become impaired by tissue scarring, immune cells originating in the bone marrow flow to the organ, where they form larger cell clusters to perform the same function. Researchers have observed for the first time how the liver preserves its bacterial filtration function even in the presence of disease. Their fundamental findings may contribute to developing new treatments for liver damage.
