Monthly Archives: June 2019
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- 六月 10, 2019
Hepatic stellate cells have recently gained a great deal of attention regarding their contribution to the progression of diseases such as liver fibrosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and hepatocellular carcinoma. They are mesenchymal cells that are located between sinusoidal endothelial cells and hepatocytes in the space of Disse or perisinusoidal space and represent about 5-10% of cells in the liver. Hepatic stellate cells play a critical role in liver homeostasis and perform a diverse set of functions, some of which are poorly understood. In a normal healthy liver, stellate cells are quiescent and store vitamin A droplets. Additionally, stellate cells are involved in vasoregulation, monitoring extracellular matrix deposition, and the production of factors that stimulate hepatocyte regeneration.
In response to liver damage, stellate cells receive signals from hepatocytes, hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells, and immune cells to activate. Once given the signal to activate,
