HAlting liver fibrosis
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a key role in liver fibrosis, a process marked by the deposition of extracellular matrix including the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA). Here, Yang et al. investigated the mechanisms regulating HSCs and HA deposition using patient samples and mouse models. They found that HA synthase 2 was increased in HSCs in fibrotic patient and mouse liver tissues. HA and Notch1 signaling activated HSCs in an HA synthase 2–dependent process. Inhibiting HA synthesis reduced HSC activation and progression of liver fibrosis, identifying a therapeutic target.
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