Endoscopic full-thickness resection vs. endoscopic submucosal dissection of residual/recurrent colonic lesions on scars: a retrospective Italian and Japanese comparative study.

Background And Aims: Endoscopic treatment of recurrent/residual colonic lesions on scars is a challenging procedure. In this setting, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is considered the first choice, despite a significant rate of complications. Endoscopic full-thickness resection (eFTR) has been shown to be well-tolerated and effective for these lesions.

State-of-the-Art and Upcoming Innovations in Pancreatic Cancer Care: A Step Forward to Precision Medicine.

Pancreatic cancer remains a social and medical burden despite the tremendous advances that medicine has made in the last two decades. The incidence of pancreatic cancer is increasing, and it continues to be associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. The difficulty of early diagnosis (the lack of specific symptoms and biomarkers at early stages), the aggressiveness of the disease, and its resistance to systemic therapies are the main factors for the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

The Role of Microbiota in Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) has an unfavorable prognosis with few effective therapeutic options. This has led researchers to investigate the possible links between microbiota and PC. A disrupted gut microbiome can lead to chronic inflammation, which is involved in the pathogenesis of PC.

Clinical outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection for giant rectal tumors larger than 8 cm: A European referral center experience.

Background And Aims: To date, western data on colorectal ESD are limited. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of rectal ESD for superficial lesions ≥ 8 cm.

Methods: A total of 138 superficial rectal neoplasms treated by ESD were allocated in two groups: 25 in the "giant" ESD group and 113 in the control group.

Increasing the accuracy of colorectal cancer screening.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health issue, being responsible for nearly 10% of all cancer-related deaths. Since CRC is often an asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic disease until it reaches advanced stages, screening is crucial for the diagnosis of preneoplastic lesions or early CRC.

Areas Covered: The aim of this review is to summarize the literature evidence on currently available CRC screening tools, with their pros and cons, focusing on the level of accuracy reached by each test over time.

One-year effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in ulcerative colitis: a multicenter real-world study from Italy.

Background: Efficacy and safety of ustekinumab for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) has been demonstrated in clinical trials, but few real-world data are available so far. The aim of this study was to assess effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in a cohort of refractory UC patients.

Methods: Data of patients with moderate to severe UC treated with ustekinumab were retrospectively collected.

Functions and the Emerging Role of the Foetal Liver into Regenerative Medicine.

During foetal life, the liver plays the important roles of connection and transient hematopoietic function. Foetal liver cells develop in an environment called a hematopoietic stem cell niche composed of several cell types, where stem cells can proliferate and give rise to mature blood cells. Embryologically, at about the third week of gestation, the liver appears, and it grows rapidly from the fifth to 10th week under WNT/β-Catenin signaling pathway stimulation, which induces hepatic progenitor cells proliferation and differentiation into hepatocytes.

Hyaluronan-Based Grafting Strategies for Liver Stem Cell Therapy and Tracking Methods.

Cell adhesion is essential for survival, it plays important roles in physiological cell functions, and it is an innovative target in regenerative medicine. Among the molecular interactions and the pathways triggered during cell adhesion, the binding of cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), a cell-surface glycoprotein involved in cell-cell interactions, to hyaluronic acid (HA), a major component of the extracellular matrix, is a crucial step. Cell therapy has emerged as a promising treatment for advanced liver diseases; however, so far, it has led to low cell engraftment and limited cell repopulation of the target tissue.