Gastrointestinal stem cells. III. Emergent themes of liver stem cell biology: niche, quiescence, self-renewal, and plasticity.
This essay will address areas of liver stem/progenitor cell studies in which consensus has emerged and in which controversy still prevails over consensus, but it will also highlight important themes that inevitably should be a focus of liver stem/progenitor cell investigations in coming years. Thus concepts regarding cell plasticity, the existence of a physiological/anatomic stem cell niche, and whether intrahepatic liver stem/progenitor cells comprise true stem cells or progenitor cells (or both) will be approached in some detail.
Theise
Neil D
ND
Division of Digestive Diseases, 16th St. at 1st Ave., New York, NY 10003. ntheise@chpnet.org).
D000818:Animals; D001659:Biliary Tract / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D004064:Digestive System / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells