[Update on isolation and functional research of hepatic stellate cells]

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), also called Ito cells or lipocytes, are one of inherent liver nonparenchymal cell types located in the Dissé space between hepatocytes and sinusoidal endothelial cells, and account for up to 50%-80% of vitamin A in the form of lipid drops. The methods of primary HSCs isolation mainly focus on density gradient centrifugation combined with centrifugal elutriation, side scatter-activated cell sorting, UV-excited autofluorescence or antibody-based flow cytometry, etc., and will provide solid foundation for the research on physiological and pathological HSCs function. The research of this vitamin A-storing cells has developed and expanded vigorously. In physiological conditions, HSCs are quiescent and play pivotal roles in the synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) to maintain its stability with broad uptake and storage of vitamin A, and also regulate liver regeneration. But in pathological conditions, HSCs are activated by constant stimulations or liver injury, then with activated proliferation, reduced lipid drops, and increased ECM synthesis. Morphology of these cells also changes from the star-shaped stellate cells to that of fibroblasts or myofibroblasts with obvious contractibility and secretion of cytokines and chemokines including a variety of proinflammatory factors and adhesion molecules, suggesting that the activation of HSCs is one of the key events in the development of liver fibrosis. Study on the isolation and function of HSCs is always one of the hot topics for liver biology. In this review, we systematically summarize and discuss the recent advances in our understanding of the isolation methods and improvements of HSCs, and functional research of HSCs biology in health and disease, as well as potential directions.