Stem Cells and Cancer in Hepatology: From the Essentials to Application

Stem Cells and Cancer in Hepatology: From the Essentials to Application offers basic scientists and clinicians in the fields of stem cells, hepatology and oncology an overview of the interaction between liver biology, stem cells and cancer. It discusses how the liver performs regeneration and repair, the role stem cells play in these processes, and the mechanisms by which liver cancers are initiated and developed. As the field of stem cells and cancer stem cells in hepatology is new and dynamic, thus making it difficult for researchers and clinicians to understand the most relevant historic and novel studies, this volume addresses that challenge.

Addresses both the basic and clinical perspectives of the topic, including sections on normal and cancer stem cells of the liverProvides coverage of the molecular mechanisms of liver development, the proliferation of hepatic progenitor cells during development, epithelial cell plasticity, generation of hepatocytes by transdifferentiation, liver tissue engineering, and morePresents a study of hepatic stem cells that will help readers understand critical events during development, stem cell differentiation towards functional liver cell fate, and tumor initiation

1. Molecular mechanisms of liver development: lessons from knockout mice and mutant fish 2. The regulation of proliferation and maturation of hepatic progenitor cells during liver development 3. Plasticity of liver epithelial cells in healthy and injured livers 4. Stem cells in the liver and the organ size control 5. Generation of liver progenitor cells by chemical reprogramming 6. Generation of hepatocytes by transdifferentiation 7. Generation of liver organoids and the potential application 8. Reconstitution of liver tissue with engineered multicellular spheroids 9. Role of platelet, blood stem cell and thrombopoietin in liver regeneration and liver diseases 10. Dynamic tissue remodeling in chronic liver diseases: abnormal proliferation and differentiation of hepatocytes and bile ducts/ductules 11. Stem cells in the hepato-biliary system and in the development of cancer: the points of view from a surgeon 12. Stem cells in the chronically injured livers and the interaction with their environment 13. Stem cells in the liver cancers and the controversial 13. Characteristics and clinical significance of liver cancer stem cells 14. Clinical application of stem cells in liver diseases: from bench to bedside