Open AccessCrosstalk between NK cells and hepatic stellate cells in liver fibrosis (Review)
Author(s) -
Yang Zhang,
Yuan Wu,
Wenjuan Shen,
Bingyu Wang,
Xingxing Yuan
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
molecular medicine reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.727
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1791-3004
pISSN - 1791-2997
DOI - 10.3892/mmr.2022.12724
Subject(s) - hepatic stellate cell , cirrhosis , fibrosis , crosstalk , hepatic fibrosis , biology , innate immune system , liver disease , immunology , cancer research , pathology , medicine , immune system , physics , optics , biochemistry
Liver fibrosis is a common pathological process of chronic liver diseases, including viral hepatitis and alcoholic liver disease, and ultimately progresses to irreversible cirrhosis and cancer. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are activated to produce amounts of collagens in response to liver injury, thus triggering the initiation and progression of fibrogenesis. Natural killer (NK) cells serve as the essential component of hepatic innate immunity and are considered to alleviate fibrosis by killing activated HSCs. Current antifibrotic interventions have improved fibrosis, but fail to halt its progression in the advanced stage. Clarifying the interaction between NK cells and HSCs will provide clues to the pathogenesis and potential therapies for advanced liver fibrosis.