When it comes to cell therapy or stem cell therapy for liver disease, the quality and quantity of donor cells matter the most. Stem cells, whether pluripotent stem cells or multipotent stem cells, can be gradually induced into hepatocyte-like cells in vitro with precisely designed growth factor cocktails in a stepwise manner. The functional maturation of these hepatocyte-liked cells can be assessed by their gene expression patterns, functional protein secretion, and capacity for metabolism (i.e., cytochrome P450 activity). However, it is generally believed that in vivo evaluation of cell function has become the experimental gold standard. Due to the genetic and physiological similarities with humans and the capacity for genetic manipulation, mouse models have become the most favored and widely used model in the field of regenerative medicine. In the review by Du et al., key information on current mouse models simulating acute or chronic liver injuries was systematically summarized for studying the aging process and developing cell therapy strategies, and the “Five characters”, including, analogy, reproducibility, reversibility, adequate and appropriately body size to obtain adequate blood and tissue sample, were the suggested standards for an ideal animal model.

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