Soon Seng Ng

Introduction Hepatic homeostasis is influenced by an interplay between hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells (NPCs) (Ramachandran et al., 2019; Wallace et al., 2022), including hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs). In the homeostatic liver, HSCs exist in a non-proliferative, quiescent state in the subendothelial space of Disse which is located between the LSEC and hepatocytes.

1 Introduction The liver consists of two types of endodermal epithelial cells, hepatocytes, and biliary epithelial cells (BECs), termed cholangiocytes, which differentiate from hepatoblasts during development (Tanimizu et al., 2013; O'Hara et al., 2013). The BECs form bile ducts (BDs) that connect the liver and the intestine to secrete bile, which is generated in hepatocytes, into the intestine (Alpini et al., 2002).

1 Introduction Hepatoblastoma is a malignant embryonal tumour predominantly diagnosed in very young children (Tulla et al., 2015). With only around 30 new cases per year in Germany, it is a rare entity, but represents two-thirds of all paediatric liver tumours (Kaatsch and Grabow, 2012; Czauderna et al., 2014).