Hepatic stellate cells are the major source of extracellular matrix proteins in hepatic fibrosis,
including Type I collagen. In response to liver injury, the hepatic stellate cells change from a
quiescent to an activated phenotype. This activation process includes a phenotypic change
to a myofibroblast-like cell, increased proliferation rate, loss of retinoid stores, increased
production of extracellular matrix proteins, chemokines, and cytokines, and contractility.
Ongoing studies are characterizing the genes that are differentially expressed in the …