Cell reprogramming theory has developed rapidly in the past decades and has been widely used in the construction of experimental models and cytotherapy for certain diseases. In terms of the liver, hepatocyte-like cells which are important for the treatment of end-staged liver disease can now be obtained through a variety of reprogramming techniques. However, improving the differentiation status and physiological function of these cells remains to be a challenge to date. More intriguingly, hepatocytes can be transdifferentiated into other types of cells directly, and other types of cells can also be transdifferentiated into hepatocytes both in vitro and in vivo. The last but not the least, there are many similarities between cell malignant transformation and cell reprogramming. During the initiation and progression of liver cancer, cell reprogramming is always associated with cancer metastasis and chemoresistance. In this review, we summarize the research progress related to cell reprogramming in liver and highlight the potential effects of cell reprogramming in the pathogenesis and treatment of liver disease.

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