Hepatic stellate cells articles within Nature Communications

Featured

• Article
  22 December 2016 | Open Access

  Hepcidin inhibits Smad3 phosphorylation in hepatic stellate cells by impeding ferroportin-mediated regulation of Akt

  The peptide hormone hepcidin is released from hepatocytes and regulates iron homoeostasis. Here, the authors show that hepcidin also regulates the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in mouse models of liver fibrosis by reducing ferroportin expression and inhibiting the HSC response to TGFβ.

  • Chang Yeob Han
  • , Ja Hyun Koo
  •  & Sang Geon Kim

• Article
  17 November 2016 | Open Access

  CUG-binding protein 1 regulates HSC activation and liver fibrogenesis

  Activation of hepatic stellate cells is a critical event in the development of fibrosis, which is driven by TGF-beta and inhibited by IFN-gamma. Here Wu et al. show that the RNA binding protein CUGBP1 is increased by TGF-beta signalling and promotes IFN-gamma mRNA degradation.

  • Xingxin Wu
  • , Xudong Wu
  •  & Qiang Xu

• Article
  22 March 2016 | Open Access

  MicroRNA-378 limits activation of hepatic stellate cells and liver fibrosis by suppressing Gli3 expression

  Liver fibrosis is a pathogenic driver of many liver diseases, so understanding its regulation might open the door to new therapies. Here the authors perform a screen for miRNA candidates and identify that miR-378 inhibits liver fibrosis in mice by interfering with Hedgehog signalling in hepatic stellate cells.

  • Jeongeun Hyun
  • , Sihyung Wang
  •  & Youngmi Jung