Antifibrinolytic strategies improve liver regeneration in mice and reduce posthepatectomy liver failure in patients.

Pharmacological plasminogen reduction significantly enhances liver regeneration and decreases posthepatectomy liver failure in mice and humans, with tranexamic acid showing clinical promise.

• Why it matters: Liver failure after surgery remains a critical challenge, and current strategies lack effective pharmacological options to promote regeneration and prevent failure, highlighting a vital need for new therapies.
• What they did: The study used small interfering RNA to induce plasminogen deficiency in mice and conducted the HeLiX trial with tranexamic acid, a pharmacological agent that reduces plasminogen activity, to assess effects on liver regeneration and failure.
• The result: Findings demonstrate that reducing plasminogen activity boosts hepatocyte proliferation and lowers liver failure risk, suggesting antifibrinolytic strategies as promising treatments to improve post-surgical outcomes.