Hepatic stellate cells, Toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway, and inflammatory fibrotic microenvironment in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma / 临床肝胆病杂志

ABSTRACT

The development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is closely related to the precancerous microenvironment of inflammation and fibrosis. The activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the major source of extracellular matrix in the development of liver fibrosis and the key effective cells of hepatic inflammatory responses. HSCs have an intact Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway, which mediates important biological properties of HSCs such as fibrogenesis, inflammatory phenotype, and immunoregulatory function. The TLR4 signaling pathway is involved in the development and progression of chronic liver diseases, and mediates liver fibrogenesis and HCC. HSCs produce several cytokines and growth factors by TLR4 signaling pathway, which has been confirmed to be related to the development of HCC.