Osteopontin (OPN) was first identified in 1986. The prefix osteo‐means bone; however, OPN
is expressed in other tissues, including liver. The suffix‐pontin means bridge and denotes …

Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional cytokine that impacts cell proliferation, survival, drug
resistance, invasion, and stem like behavior. Due to its critical involvement in regulating …

Objective Smoothened (SMO), a coreceptor of the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway, promotes
fibrogenic repair of chronic liver injury. We investigated the roles of SMO+ myofibroblast …

Hepatic stellate cell (HSC), initially analyzed by von Kupffer, in 1876, revealed to be an
extraordinary mesenchymal cell, essential for both hepatocellular function and lesions …

Objective and aims: Osteopontin (OPN), an oxidant stress sensitive cytokine, plays a central
role in liver fibrosis. While OPN expression can be reduced by small interfering RNA …

Hepatic fibrosis is a pathophysiological process, which causes excessive extracellular
matrix (ECM) deposition resulting from persistent liver damage. Myofibroblasts are the core …

Abstract Purpose of Review To critically summarize evidence on the potential role of
osteokines in the pathogenesis and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) …

Damaged acinar cells play a passive role in activating pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) via
recruitment of immune cells that subsequently activate PSCs. However, whether acinar cells …

Background and Aims Small‐molecule flux in tissue microdomains is essential for organ
function, but knowledge of this process is scant due to the lack of suitable methods. We …

Background & Aims Natural killer (NK) cells are known to exert strong antiviral activity. Killer
cell lectin-like receptor subfamily G member 1 (KLRG1) is expressed by terminally …