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Hepatic Stellate Cells in Inflammation‐Fibrosis‐Carcinoma Axis
Author(s) -
Wang BinBin,
Cheng JunYao,
Gao HongHao,
Zhang Yang,
Chen ZhiNan,
Bian Huijie
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the anatomical record: advances in integrative anatomy and evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.678
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1932-8494
pISSN - 1932-8486
DOI - 10.1002/ar.21173
Subject(s) - inflammation , hepatic stellate cell , cirrhosis , hepatocellular carcinoma , fibrosis , carcinogenesis , metastasis , medicine , pathology , cancer research , cancer , immunology
Almost 80% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases are associated with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis resulting from inflammation and fibrosis. A three‐step process of “inflammation‐fibrosis‐carcinoma” is believed to be involved in hepatocarcinogenesis. The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) may serve as an important mediator in the process of inflammation‐fibrosis‐carcinoma axis, even in tumor metastasis. A remarkable knowledge of activated HSCs in the pathology of HCC development is mostly focused on the liver fibrosis. The molecular links that connects inflammation and cancer in the activation of HSC are not completely known. This highlights urgent need to increase our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms, by which activation of HSCs is involved in the hepatic inflammation, carcinogenesis, and metastasis. Anat Rec 293:1492–1496, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.