Dendritic cell and T cell crosstalk in liver fibrogenesis and hepatocarcinogenesis: Implications for prevention and therapy of liver cancer

80Citations
Citations of this article
55Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Liver fibrosis is a chronic, highly prevalent disease that may progress to cirrhosis and substantially increases the risk for development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Fibrotic livers are characterized by an inflammatory microenvironment that is composed of various immunologically active cells, including liver-resident populations (e.g., Kupffer cells, hepatic stellate cells and sinusoidal endothelium) and infiltrating leukocytes (e.g., monocytes, monocytederived macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes). While inflammatory injury drives both fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis, the tolerogenic microenvironment of the liver conveys immunosuppressive effects that encourage tumor growth. An insufficient crosstalk between dendritic cells (DCs), the professional antigen presenting cells, and T cells, the efficient anti-tumor effector cells, is one of the main mechanisms of HCC tumor tolerance. The meticulous analysis of patient samples and mouse models of fibrosis-HCC provided in-depth insights into molecular mechanisms of immune interactions in liver cancer. The therapeutic modulation of this multifaceted immunological response, e.g., by inhibiting immune checkpoint molecules, in situ vaccination, oncolytic viruses or combinations thereof, is a rapidly evolving field that holds the potential to improve the outcome of patients with HCC. This review aims to highlight the current understanding of DC–T cell interactions in fibrogenesis and hepatocarcinogenesis and to illustrate the potentials and pitfalls of therapeutic clinical translation.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Lurje, I., Hammerich, L., & Tacke, F. (2020, October 1). Dendritic cell and T cell crosstalk in liver fibrogenesis and hepatocarcinogenesis: Implications for prevention and therapy of liver cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21197378

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free