• The bone marrow of female rats was destroyed and replaced with that of male rats to allow the ease of identification of cells. The female rats were then administered a chemical that prevents the liver from regenerating. The livers were subsequently damaged. After two weeks, the livers were destroyed and examined. Researchers discovered the presence of Y chromosome liver cells suggesting that the bone marrow cells had migrated to the liver and begun the regeneration process. The study also suggests that a certain bone marrow cell either develops into an oval cell or gives the necessary signals to generate the oval cells at the site of injury. [1]

The next step for future research is finding the bone marrow stem cell that differentiates into the oval cell or discovering the signal that the liver broadcasts to recruit such cells to the scene of injury. This is the first report that indicates that bone marrow cells give rise to epithelial cells, which can develop into solid organs.