The role of extracellular matrix on liver stem cell fate: A dynamic relationship in health and disease.

The liver stem cell niche is a specialized and dynamic microenvironment with biomechanical and biochemical characteristics that regulate stem cell behavior. This is feasible due to the coordination of a complex network of secreted factors, small molecules, neural, blood inputs and extracellular matrix (ECM) components involved in the regulation of stem cell fate (self-renewal, survival, and differentiation into more mature phenotypes like hepatocytes and cholangiocytes). In this review, we describe and summarize all the major components that play essential roles in the liver stem cell niche, in particular, growth factor signaling and the biomechanical properties of the ECM.

[Synchronous well differentiated ileal neuroendocrine tumour and colonic adenocarcinoma. A case report and a review of the literature].

Synchronous colonic adenocarcinoma and well-differentiated ileal neuroendocrine tumour are infrequent and are usually incidental findings on autopsies or resected surgical specimens. Only rarely are they detected on colonoscopies or during surgery. We present a case of a synchronous caecal adenocarcinoma and well-differentiated ileal neuroendocrine tumour, undetected during colonoscopy, with carcinoid metastasis in one regional lymph node not associated with adenocarcinoma metastasis.