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Review
. 2021 May 19;402(9):1021-1032.
doi: 10.1515/hsz-2021-0180. Print 2021 Aug 26.

Hepatic stellate cells: current state and open questions

Claus Kordes  1 , Hans H Bock  1 , Doreen Reichert  1 , Petra May  1 , Dieter Häussinger  1
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Hepatic stellate cells: current state and open questions

Claus Kordes et al. Biol Chem. .
Free article

Abstract

This review article summarizes 20 years of our research on hepatic stellate cells within the framework of two collaborative research centers CRC575 and CRC974 at the Heinrich Heine University. Over this period, stellate cells were identified for the first time as mesenchymal stem cells of the liver, and important functions of these cells in the context of liver regeneration were discovered. Furthermore, it was determined that the space of Disse - bounded by the sinusoidal endothelium and hepatocytes - functions as a stem cell niche for stellate cells. Essential elements of this niche that control the maintenance of hepatic stellate cells have been identified alongside their impairment with age. This article aims to highlight previous studies on stellate cells and critically examine and identify open questions and future research directions.

Keywords: CD133; aging; mesenchymal stem cells; reelin; stellate cells; stem cell niche.

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