title: Autophagy: a new player in hepatic stellate cell activation.
abstract: Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation, the transition from a resident quiescent HSC to a myofibroblastic collagen-producing HSC, is a fundamental feature of liver fibrosis. Autophagy has been implicated in major liver pathologies, such as HCV infection and hepatocarcinoma. However, its role in HSC biology is largely unknown. Recently, we were able to demonstrate that HSC activation is followed by an increased autophagic flux and that its inhibition can partially inhibit the HSC myofibroblastic transition. These results point to autophagy as a possible target in the prevention of HSC activation.
authors.affiliation: Liver Cell Biology Lab; Department of Cell Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lien F R
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Thoen
authors.forename: Eduardo L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Leo A van
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Grunsven
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D051381:Rats