Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026
06:40
Seven Steps to Stellate Cells
Published on: May 10, 2011
Hepatic stellate cells do not derive from the neural crest
David Cassiman1, Amanda Barlow, Sara Vander Borght
1Department of Hepatology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. david.cassiman@med.kuleuven.ac.be
Journal of Hepatology
|February 7, 2006
Summary
Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) do not originate from the neural crest. Studies tracking neural crest development in mice found no YFP expression in HSC, refuting this hypothesis.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Cell biology
- Histology
Background:
- Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are implicated in liver fibrosis.
- HSC express neural/neuroendocrine markers and associate with nerve endings.
- A hypothesis suggested HSC originate from the neural crest.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the embryonic origin of hepatic stellate cells (HSC).
- To determine if HSC are derived from neural crest cells.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a transgenic mouse model with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) marking neural crest derivatives.
- Tracked YFP expression in relation to desmin expression (a marker for HSC).
- Examined liver development from embryonic day 11.5 to adulthood.
Main Results:
- YFP was detected in all known neural crest-derived cells and structures.
- HSC, identified by desmin expression, were present from embryonic day 11.5.
- No YFP expression was observed in developing HSC or the liver.
Conclusions:
- Hepatic stellate cells do not descend from the neural crest.
- Alternative origins for HSC include septum transversum mesenchyme, endoderm, or liver capsule mesothelium.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Liver Regeneration
The liver is an important organ in vertebrates that plays an essential role in metabolism. It is also responsible for storing and redistributing nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins in the body. Additionally, the liver releases bile salts which are critical for digesting food and eliminating toxic metabolites from the body.
Cells of Liver
The liver comprises four major types of cells— hepatocytes, stellate, Kupffer, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. The hepatocytes are large...
Cells of Liver
The liver comprises four major types of cells— hepatocytes, stellate, Kupffer, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. The hepatocytes are large...
01:17Stem Cell Culture
Stem cell research aims to find ways to use stem cells to regenerate and repair cellular damage. Over time, most adult cells undergo the wear and tear of aging and lose their ability to divide and repair themselves. Stem cells do not display a particular morphology or function. Adult stem cells, which exist as a small subset of cells in most tissues, keep dividing and can differentiate into a number of specialized cells generally formed by that tissue. These cells enable the body to renew and...
01:33Adult Stem Cells
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce more stem cells or progenitor cells that differentiate into mature, specialized cell types. All the cells in the body are generated from stem cells in the early embryo, but small populations of stem cells are also present in many adult tissues including the bone marrow, brain, skin, and gut. These adult stem cells typically produce the various cell types found in that tissue—to replace cells that are damaged or to continuously renew...
01:19Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that can differentiate into most connective tissue cell types, except for hematopoietic cells, depending upon the source of MSCs. For example, bone-marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) can differentiate into osteocytes, hepatocytes, and pancreatic and neuronal cells. MSCs can be isolated from various sources such as bone marrow, placenta, adipose tissue, teeth, and Wharton’s jelly, a gelatinous substance in the umbilical cord. The ease of their access...