Hepatic stellate cells in inflammation-fibrosis-carcinoma axis.
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.
Wang
Bin-Bin
BB
Department of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
Cheng
Jun-Yao
JY
Gao
Hong-Hao
HH
Zhang
Yang
Y
Chen
Zhi-Nan
ZN
Bian
Huijie
H
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction