Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal disease, and recurrence and metastasis are the major causes of death in HCC patients. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a major stromal cell type in the HCC microenvironment, promote HCC progression, and have gradually become a hot research topic in HCC-targeted therapy. This review comprehensively describes and discusses the heterogeneous tissue distribution, cellular origin, phenotype, and biological functions of HCC-associated fibroblasts. Furthermore, the possible use of CAFs for predicting HCC prognosis and in targeted therapeutic strategies is discussed, highlighting the critical roles of CAFs in HCC progression, diagnosis, and therapy.
Osteoarthritis not only results in cartilage lesion, but also is accompanied with subchondral bone damage caused by the inflammatory response. It is of great significance to treat osteoarthritis by regulating the immune response. As copper (Cu) plays an essential role in immune response and anti-arthritis, a copper-incorporated bioactive glass-ceramics (Cu-BGC) may achieve the aim of healing cartilage lesion and reducing inflammatory response caused by osteoarthritis. We hypothesized that the Cu2+ released from Cu-BGC scaffolds may satisfy the requirements of cartilage regeneration and anti-arthritis.Methods: 3D-printing method was employed to prepare Cu-BGC scaffolds. The stimulating effect on the chondrocytes and macrophages cultured with Cu-BGC extracts was investigated. Furthermore, the in vivo regenerative effect of Cu-BGC scaffolds on osteochondral defects was studied.Results: The incorporation of Cu2+ into BGC considerably promoted the proliferation and maturation of chondrocytes, and induced macrophages shifting to anti-inflammatory phenotype. Histological analysis demonstrated that the Cu-BGC scaffolds meaningfully improved the regeneration of cartilage and elevated the recovery of the osteochondral interface as compared with the CTR and BGC groups. The potential mechanism is related to Cu2+ ions triggering the immune response of cartilage via activating HIF signaling pathway and inhibiting the inflammatory response in osteochondral tissue.Conclusion: These results demonstrated that Cu-BGC scaffolds significantly facilitated the regeneration of cartilage and osteochondral interface, as well as inhibited inflammatory response, which may prevent the development of osteoarthritis associated with osteochondral defects.
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