Title: “The Human Interstitium as a Body-Wide Communication Network”
Presenter: Neil Theise, MD
Professor of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Co-Chief, Division of GI and Liver Pathology, NYU Langone Health
Presentation Description:
Recent studies of the macro- and microanatomy of the human interstitium demonstrate a continuous and complex structure that spans the human body. Filled with hyaluronic acid, which has a high water-holding capacity, fluid flows freely through the structures. Crossing between adjacent tissue layers within organs and between organs, spanning the cardiovascular and central and peripheral nervous systems, its structure suggests the capacity for functioning as a body-wide communication network for cellular (immunocytes, malignancy, infection), microbiome, and molecular and electrical signaling. Some implications for integrative medicine will be discussed.
Speaker Bio:
Neil Theise, MD is a professor of pathology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. His clinical practice focuses on liver and transplantation pathology. Dr. Theise’s early research into human hepatocarcinogenesis became foundational for the LIRADS system for radiologic screening of hepatocellular carcinoma. His studies of liver regeneration confirmed the presence of a hepatic stem/progenitor cell niche in human livers and, in turn, led to pioneering work on adult stem cell plasticity.