Evidence mapPaperPMID 41564388Full record

ReviewHepatology communications2026

Hepatocyte-hepatic stellate cell interactions in liver fibrosis: Mechanisms and therapeutic implications.

Zihan Wang, Zixuan Cao, Yunsheng Dong, Yi Hong, Li Zuo, Hua Wang

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Hepatology communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Zihan WangDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.ORCID 0009-0001-5721-8508
Zixuan CaoInnovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory for College Students, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.ORCID 0009-0007-2917-3895
Yunsheng DongInnovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory for College Students, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.ORCID 0009-0003-0966-7098
Yi HongInnovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory for College Students, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.ORCID 0009-0002-9463-8146
Li ZuoInnovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory for College Students, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.ORCID 0000-0001-8606-3050
Hua WangDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2605-5697

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Hepatic fibrosis, driven by chronic liver injury, results from complex interactions between hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). In response to hepatocyte damage, activated HSCs undergo transdifferentiation into myofibroblast-like cells, contributing to the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components and the progression of fibrosis. This review explores the intricate bidirectional crosstalk between hepatocytes and HSCs, focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying their interactions during liver fibrosis. Hepatocytes, upon injury, release inflammatory mediators, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and exosomes, which activate HSCs and promote fibrotic progression. Conversely, activated HSCs exacerbate hepatocyte dysfunction through cytokine release, ECM remodeling, and mechanical stress. Key signaling pathways, including transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and oxidative stress mechanisms, are central to these processes. The review also discusses current challenges in targeting hepatic fibrosis and proposes future research directions, including the use of multi-omics technologies to unravel the dynamic spatiotemporal interactions between hepatocytes and HSCs. Understanding this intricate regulatory network will be crucial for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to reverse liver fibrosis and improve patient outcomes.

Indexed as

Cell CommunicationHepatic Stellate CellsHepatocytesLiver CirrhosisAnimalsExtracellular MatrixHumansOxidative StressReactive Oxygen SpeciesSignal TransductionReactive Oxygen Speciescell crosstalkhepatic stellate cellshepatocytesliver fibrosis

Identifiers

PMID41564388
PMCPMC12826228

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.