The role of osteopontin in liver fibrosis

  1. SYN, WING KIN
Supervised by:
  1. Patricia Aspichueta Celaa Director

Defence university: Universidad del País Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

Fecha de defensa: 19 September 2017

Committee:
  1. Begoña Ochoa Olascoaga Chair
  2. Mª Luz Martínez Chantar Secretary
  3. Shishir R. Shetty Committee member

Type: Thesis

Teseo: 143830 DIALNET lock_openADDI editor

Abstract

Osteopontin (OPN) is a cytokine and matrix molecule that is upregulated in human and mouse models of chronic liver injury and directly promotes liver fibrogenesis by activating hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and liver progenitors (LPC). OPN is secreted by multiple cell types including HSC, LPC, as well as recruited immune cells such as natural killer T (NKT) cells, which amplify the fibrogenic response. In vivo, OPN neutralization abrogates the LPC response, inhibits HSC activation, and reduces liver fibrosis, thus demonstrating that targeting OPN is a potentially attractive anti-fibrotic strategy.