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The hepatic stellate cell in the post-genomic
era
H. Okuyama, Y. Shimahara and N. Kawada
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School
of Medicine,
Kyoto University and Department of Hepatology, Graduate School
of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
Offprint requests to: Norifumi
Kawada, M.D., Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine,
Osaka City University, 1-4-3, Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585.
Japan. Fax: 81-6-6645-3813. e-mail: kawadanori@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
Summary. The draft human genome sequence was published
on February 15, 2001, which will provide a huge amount of information
on human genetics, human disease, and human cell biology. Now,
medical scientists and cell biologists are turning their attention
to illustrating gene expression pattern using gene microarray
and to identifying the functions and the expression patterns of
proteins encoded by the genes.
Hepatic stellate cell is one of the sinusoid-constituent cells
that play multiple roles in the liver pathophysiology. Transformation
of stellate cells from the vitamin A-storing phenotype to the
"myofibroblastic" one closely correlates to hepatic
fibrosis during chronic liver trauma. Analyses of the molecular
mechanisms of stellate cell activation have made a great progress,
in particular, in the field of intracellular signal transduction
of transforming growth factor-ß and platelet-derived growth
factor, integrin signaling related to cell-adhesion, and cell
motility-associated Rho and focal-adhesion kinase. Accumulation
of the information on the stellate cell activation would shed
light on the establishment of a novel therapeutic strategy against
fibrosis of human liver disease. Histol. Histopathol. 17, 487-495
(2002)
Key words: Stellate cell, Liver fibrosis, Genomics,
Proteomics
DOI: 10.14670/HH-17.487
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