MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2011 Apr;25(2):207-17. doi: 10.1016/j.bpg.2011.02.006.
Liver fibrogenic cells are a heterogenous population of cells that include α-smooth muscle actin positive myofibroblasts (MFs). MFs promote the progression of chronic liver diseases (CLDs) towards cirrhosis. MFs are highly proliferative and contractile and promote fibrogenesis by means of their multiple phenotypic responses to injury. These include: excess deposition and altered remodelling of extracellular matrix; the synthesis and release of growth factor which sustain and perpetuate fibrogenesis; chronic inflammatory response and neo-angiogenesis. MFs mainly originate from hepatic stellate cells or portal fibroblasts through activation and transdifferentiation. MFs may also potentially differentiate from bone marrow-derived stem cells. It has been suggested that MFs can be derived from hepatocytes or cholangiocytes through a process of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in the liver, however this is controversial. Hepatic MFs may also modulate the immune responses to hepatocellular carcinomas and metastatic cancers through cross talk with hepatic progenitor and tumour cells.
肝纤维化细胞是一群异质性细胞，包括α-平滑肌肌动蛋白阳性的肌成纤维细胞（MFs）。MFs 促进慢性肝病（CLD）向肝硬化发展。MFs 具有高度增殖和收缩能力，并通过其对损伤的多种表型反应促进纤维化形成。这些反应包括：细胞外基质过度沉积和重塑；生长因子的合成和释放，维持和持续促进纤维化形成；慢性炎症反应和新生血管形成。MFs 主要通过激活和转分化，来源于肝星状细胞或门脉成纤维细胞。MFs 也可能潜在地从骨髓来源的干细胞分化而来。有人认为，MFs 可以通过肝脏上皮细胞向间充质细胞的过渡过程，从肝细胞或胆管细胞中产生，但这存在争议。肝 MFs 还可以通过与肝祖细胞和肿瘤细胞的交叉对话，调节对肝细胞癌和转移性癌症的免疫反应。
