Gastroenterology & Hepatology Letters

In recent years, overwhelming experimental and clinical data demonstrate the existence of a unique subpopulation of highly malignant tumor cells termed as cancer stem cells (CSCs). They have been found in many solid tumors, including liver cancer. Liver CSCs may be known as the source of malignant cells, the reason for resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and the cells source of distant metastases. Therefore, new and effective treatment strategies targeting liver CSCs are urgently needed. Nanomedicine-based nanotechniques and biomaterials have emerged as some of the most promising carrier systems for medical imaging and drug delivery. The advances of nanomedicine result in the concept of precision medicine and the opportunity for early diagnoses and highly-effective targeted therapy. This review will focus on the properties of liver CSCs, discuss the preclinical and clinical available applications of nanomedicine, and explore the future implications and challenges.

Iatrogenic bile duct injury is one of the important problems in abdominal surgery and its incidence has shown an upward trend in recent years. Iatrogenic bile duct injury threatens the quality of life and life safety of patients. At present, there is a lack of diagnostic and treatment norms that have a guiding significance based on large-scale evidence-based medicine research. The injury to the lower part of the common bile duct, especially the joint of the biliary and pancreatic intestines, generally is more serious. This article introduces the current status, classification, common causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention regarding the iatrogenic injury in the lower common bile duct. A deeper understanding of this injury may help minimize the incidence of injury, standardize diagnosis and treatment and improve the prognosis of patients.

With the development of translational medicine, cell therapy has been applied in clinical practice, especially in the regenerative treatment of severe liver diseases. This article introduces the origin, development, and prospects of cell therapy from the aspects of liver disease treatment, history, current status, and clinical application feasibility of cell therapy. The article also points out the existing problems in the translational medical research of cell therapy. To achieve a favorable development in cell therapy, more fundamental and clinical are warranted.

Translational medicine is a new concept emerging in the field of international biomedicine in recent years. Translational medicine revolves around the transformation of basic research findings into clinical application. Translational medicine has made a huge progress in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of liver diseases, especially diffuse diseases and liver cancer. This paper reviews the development of translational medical research of liver disease, as well as discusses the advancement of liver surgery, molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy, stem cell therapy, genomics, and hepatitis B vaccine.

The clinical manifestations of hepatic hemangioma are not specific. At present, the diagnosis of hepatic hemangioma mainly depends on imaging examination, and the treatments are based on surgery. However, the current indications and timing for surgical treatments and surgical options for hepatic hemangioma remain controversial. This article introduces our current understanding of hepatic hemangioma and the current status of diagnosis and treatment of hepatic hemangioma, providing a basis for the standardization of diagnosis and treatment of hepatic hemangioma. Treatments of hepatic hemangioma include surgery, hepatic artery embolization, radiofrequency ablation, radiation therapy, intraoperative microwave coagulation, cryotherapy, and sclerotherapy. Surgical treatment is the preferred option for patients without surgical contraindications.