Korean J Hepatol.  2007 Sep;13(3):309-319. 10.3350/kjhep.2007.13.3.309.

The Role of Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells in Liver Fibrosis, Portal Hypertension and Cancer Angiogenesis

• Lee JS
• Kim JH

• KMID: 760733
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3350/kjhep.2007.13.3.309

Abstract

Although hepatic stellate cells, which are liver specific pericytes, have been recognized within the vasculature of the sinusoid for more than one hundred years, the biology and function of these cells is unclear. Recent studies have highlighted the key role of stellate cells in a number of fundamental processes that include wound healing/fibrosis, vasoregulation, and vascular remodeling/angiogenesis. In the liver, these processes are particularly important in the development of cirrhosis, portal hypertension and cancer. This article highlights the recent advances in our understanding of the biology of hepatic stellate cells and discusses some of the recently-ascribed functions that are relevant to liver fibrosis, portal hypertension and cancer angiogenesis.

Keyword

Hepatic stellate cell; Fibrosis; Hypertension portal; Cancer; Angiogenesis

MeSH Terms

Cell Communication/physiology
Humans
Hypertension, Portal/*etiology
Kupffer Cells/*physiology
Liver Cirrhosis/*etiology
Liver Neoplasms/blood supply/*etiology
Neovascularization, Pathologic/etiology
Pericytes/*physiology