Friedman Lab

Research focus

NIH R01 · 2024

Hepatic stellate cells in NASH fibrosis and HCC

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a rising public health threat characterized by progression from steatosis, to hepatocyte injury, inflammation, fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A key unanswered question is how inflammation and hepatic fibrosis create a ‘pro-carcinogenic stroma’ that promotes the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), even without co-existent cirrhosis. Central to these stromal changes is the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which are resident perisinusoidal, vitamin A-rich cells that transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts (cancer-associated fibroblasts, or CAFs) to secrete a host of extracellular matrix constituents, growth factors,…

From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.