Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Hepatic stellate cell: A star cell in the liver

2009; Elsevier BV; Volume: 41; Issue: 8-9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.biocel.2009.03.001

1878-5875

Luigi Atzori, Giuseppe Poli, Andrea Perra,

Liver Disease and Transplantation

Hepatic stellate cells represent a highly versatile cytotype that plays a significant role in liver development and differentiation, regeneration, xenobiotic response, immunoregulation, control of hepatic blood flow and inflammatory reactions. Because of the wide panel of molecular intermediates they may produce and secrete, particularly after their sustained activation in a disease state, hepatic stellate cells are definitely involved in the pathogenesis of various liver pathologies, besides the well know key role in fibrosis and extracellular matrix remodelling. In particular, they can actively contribute to the progression of hepatitis and steatohepatitis of different aetiology, and of liver carcinogenesis.