title: Hepatic Stellate Cells and microRNAs in Pathogenesis of Liver Fibrosis.
abstract: microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by either blocking translation or inducing degradation of target mRNA. miRNAs play essential roles in diverse biological and pathological processes, including development of hepatic fibrosis. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a central role in development of hepatic fibrosis and there are intricate regulatory effects of miRNAs on their activation, proliferation, collagen production, migration, and apoptosis. There are multiple differentially expressed miRNAs in activated HSCs, and in this review we aim to summarize current data on miRNAs that participate in the development of hepatic fibrosis. Based on this review, miRNAs may serve as biomarkers for diagnosis of liver disease, as well as markers of disease progression. Most importantly, dysregulated miRNAs may potentially be targeted by novel therapies to treat and reverse progression of hepatic fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. kitmio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitano
authors.affiliation: 21st Century Oncology, 4571 Colonial Blvd., Suite 210, Fort Myers, FL 33966, USA. mark.bloomston@21co.com.
authors.forename: P Mark
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bloomston
keywords: hepatic stellate cell; liver disease; liver fibrosis; microRNA