Initiation of hepatic stellate cell activation extends into chronic liver disease.

ABSTRACT: Activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSC) are the main source of extra cellular matrix in liver fibrosis. Activation is classically divided in two phases: initiation and perpetuation. Currently, HSC-based therapeutic candidates largely focus on targeting the aHSCs in the perpetuation phase. However, the importance of HSC initiation during chronic liver disease (CLD) remains unclear. Here, we identified transcriptional programs of initiating and activated HSCs by RNA sequencing, using in vitro and in vivo mouse models of fibrosis. Importantly, we show that both programs are active in HSCs during murine and human CLD. In human cirrhotic livers, scar associated mesenchymal cells employ both transcriptional programs at the single cell level. Our results indicate that the transcriptional programs

SUBMITTER: De Smet V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8627507 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature