Term Name: | hepatic stellate cell |
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Synonyms: | fat-storing cell, hepatic perisinusoidal cell, Ito cell, lipocyte, perisinusoidal cell, vitamin A-storing cells |
Definition: | A cell that is found in the perisinusoidal space of the liver that is capable of multiple roles including storage of retinol, presentation of antigen to T cells (including CD1d-restricted NKT cells), and upon activation, production of extracellular matrix components that can contribute to liver fibrosis. This activated state has a myofibroblast-like phenotype, though it's not clear in the literature if this is terminally differentiated. This cell type comprises approximately 8-15% of total cells in the liver. |
Ontology: | Cell Ontology [CL:0000632] |