Liver disease is a leading cause of death in the UK, and the number of deaths from cirrhosis is increasing rapidly. Liver transplantation is currently the only effective treatment for end-stage liver disease, but the shortage of donor organs results in many patients dying while waiting for a transplant. To address this, alternative therapies are urgently needed. The liver normally regenerates by dividing mature hepatocytes, but in chronic liver injury, this ability is lost. Fortunately, there are special types of liver cells called hepatic progenitor cells that can regenerate the liver. These versatile cells can give rise to both hepatocytes and biliary epithelium (the lining of the liver) but they also have the potential to develop into liver cancer.