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REVIEW article

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Molecular and Cellular Pathology
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1444198

Targeting Hepatic Macrophages for Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Therapy

Provisionally accepted
Yingxin Tian Yingxin Tian 1Yiming Ni Yiming Ni 1Ting Zhang Ting Zhang 1Yemin Cao Yemin Cao 2Mingmei Zhou Mingmei Zhou 1*Zhao Cheng Zhao Cheng 2*
  • 1 Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
  • 2 Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its more advanced form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), have become global health challenges with significant morbidity and mortality rates. NAFLD encompasses several liver diseases, ranging from simple steatosis to more severe inflammatory and fibrotic forms. Ultimately, this can lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The intricate role of hepatic macrophages, particularly Kupffer cells (KCs) and monocyte-derived macrophages (MoMFs), in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and NASH, has received increasing attention. Hepatic macrophages can interact with hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, and endothelial cells, playing a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis. Paradoxically, they also participate in the pathogenesis of some liver diseases. This review highlights the fundamental role of hepatic macrophages in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and NASH, emphasizing their plasticity and contribution to inflammation and fibrosis, and hopes to provide ideas for subsequent experimental research and clinical treatment.

    Keywords: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), Macrophages, Kupffer cells (KCs), monocyte-derived macrophages (MoMFs), NASH

    Received: 06 Jun 2024; Accepted: 26 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Tian, Ni, Zhang, Cao, Zhou and Cheng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Mingmei Zhou, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, Shanghai Municipality, China
    Zhao Cheng, Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.