Liver disease target

摘要

The extent of the damage caused by liver disease depends on the balance between the generation of scar tissue and the regeneration of liver cells. Hepatic stellate cells, which are activated during liver damage, shift the balance towards scarring. Derek Mann at Newcastle University, UK, and his colleagues found that, in mice, the neurotransmitter serotonin activates 5-HT_2B receptors on the surface of hepatic stellate cells. This sets off a molecular cascade that eventually suppresses the division of normal liver cells. A specific 5-HT_2B-receptor antagonist blocked this suppression, and mice lacking the receptor also showed increased regeneration of liver cells in response to damage. The team says that such receptor antagonists could be clinically useful for chronic liver disease.