title: Liver repopulation and carcinogenesis: two sides of the same coin?
abstract: Liver repopulation by transplanted normal hepatocytes has been described in a number of experimental settings. Extensive repopulation can also occur from the selective proliferation of endogenous normal hepatocytes, both in experimental animals and in the human liver. This review highlights the intriguing association between clinical and experimental conditions related to liver repopulation and an increased risk for development of hepatocellular carcinoma. It is suggested that any microenvironment that is able to sustain the clonal growth of normal transplanted (or endogenous) hepatocytes is also geared to select for the emergence of rare resistant cells with an altered phenotype. Whereas the first pathway leads to liver repopulation with normal histology, the latter results in the growth of focal proliferative lesions and carries an increased risk of neoplastic disease. The implications of this association are discussed, both in terms of pathogenetic significance and possible therapeutic exploitation.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biomediche, Sezione di Patologia Sperimentale, Università di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marongiu
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doratiotto
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montisci
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pani
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laconi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D012307:Risk Factors