The niche of stellate cells within rat liver #

Abstract

The space of Disse shows analogies to typical stem cell niches comprising of basal lamina components, sympathetic innervation, and adjacent cells that constitute a milieu by paracrine factors and direct physical interactions to retain HSCs at this site and to influence their cellular fate. The space of Disse serves as a niche of stellate cells, which is a novel function of this unique organ structure.