Regulatory effect of natural killer cells on hepatic stellate cells and their role in liver fibrosis / 临床肝胆病杂志

Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation is closely associated with the progression of liver fibrosis.As an important component of the innate immune system,natural killer (NK) cells are enriched in the liver and play a key role in host defense against viral infection and tumor,and their anti-fibrotic effect has also been confirmed.NK cells can reduce liver fibrosis by killing early-activated or senescent HSCs or secreting interferon-γ.This article summarizes related research advances in recent years,and introduces the molecular immunological mechanism of NK cells in regulating HSCs and their potential anti-fibrotic effect based on the function and phenotype of NK cells and HSCs.