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PMID: 20209607 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review

Portal fibroblasts: Underappreciated mediators of biliary fibrosis.

Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) ·Vol. 51 ·No. 4 ·2010-04-00 ·Pages 1438-44

Dranoff JA, Wells RG

Abstract

Portal fibroblasts are an important yet often overlooked nonparenchymal cell population in the liver. They are distinct from hepatic stellate cells, yet like stellate cells differentiate in the setting of chronic injury to fibrogenic myofibroblasts, playing an important role in collagen production in the fibrotic liver. Portal fibroblasts (PFs) are located adjacent to bile duct epithelia and thus play a particularly significant role in biliary fibrosis. New data suggest that they may also have key functions independent of fibrogenesis. This review addresses the definition and characteristics of PFs as well as their signaling pathways, interactions with the biliary epithelium, and contributions to liver pathobiology. PFs are an important and multifunctional nonparenchymal cell population in need of further study.

MeSH Terms
Animals Cell Communication Cell Differentiation Fibroblasts/physiology Humans Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary/etiology Portal System/pathology Signal Transduction
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Dranoff Jonathan A
Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. [email protected]
Wells Rebecca G
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Article Info
Journal
Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.)
Abbr.
Hepatology
ISSN
1527-3350
DOI
10.1002/hep.23405
Email
[email protected]
Published
2010-04-00
Pages
1438-44
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
8302946
PMCID
PMC2850946
Subset
IM
Grants
NIDDK NIH HHS · DK34989 · United States
NIDDK NIH HHS · R01 DK58123 · United States
NIDDK NIH HHS · R01 DK058123-09S3 · United States
NIDDK NIH HHS · P30 DK034989 · United States
NIDDK NIH HHS · R01 DK058123 · United States
NIDDK NIH HHS · R01 DK070849 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1002/hep.23405 PMC Full Text View journal details
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