Cited by 1,784Liver physiology and pathologyLiver Diseases and ImmunityLiver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 98 of the 98 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Resolving the fibrotic niche of human liver cirrhosis at single-cell level

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Abstract

Liver cirrhosis is a major cause of death worldwide and is characterized by extensive fibrosis. There are currently no effective antifibrotic therapies available. To obtain a better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in disease pathogenesis and enable the discovery of therapeutic targets, here we profile the transcriptomes of more than 100,000 single human cells, yielding molecular definitions for non-parenchymal cell types that are found in healthy and cirrhotic human liver. We identify a scar-associated TREM2+CD9+ subpopulation of macrophages, which expands in liver fibrosis, differentiates from circulating monocytes and is pro-fibrogenic. We also define ACKR1+ and PLVAP+ endothelial cells that expand in cirrhosis, are topographically restricted to the fibrotic niche and enhance the transmigration of leucocytes. Multi-lineage modelling of ligand and receptor interactions between the scar-associated macrophages, endothelial cells and PDGFRα+ collagen-producing mesenchymal cells reveals intra-scar activity of several pro-fibrogenic pathways including TNFRSF12A, PDGFR and NOTCH signalling. Our work dissects unanticipated aspects of the cellular and molecular basis of human organ fibrosis at a single-cell level, and provides a conceptual framework for the discovery of rational therapeutic targets in liver cirrhosis.

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Metadata

Authors
Ramachandran, P., Dobie, R., Wilson-Kanamori, J. R., Dora, E. F., Henderson, B. E. P., Luu, N. T., Portman, J. R., Matchett, K. P., Brice, M., Marwick, J. A., Taylor, R. S., Efremova, M., Vento-Tormo, R., Carragher, N. O., Kendall, T. J., Fallowfield, J. A., Harrison, E. M., Mole, D. J., Wigmore, S. J., Newsome, P. N., Weston, C. J., Iredale, J. P., Tacke, F., Pollard, J. W., Ponting, C. P., Marioni, J. C., Teichmann, S. A., & Henderson, N. C.
Affiliations
  • Centre for Inflammation Research (GB)
  • University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
  • Edinburgh Cancer Research (GB)
  • Wellcome Sanger Institute (GB)
  • Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (GB)
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research (GB)
  • Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US)
  • Institute of Genetics and Cancer (GB)
  • European Bioinformatics Institute (GB)
Corresponding author
  • Ramachandran, P.
  • Henderson, N. C.
Venue
Nature
Published
2019-10-09
Volume
575
Issue
7783
Pages
512-518
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2979595830
Cited by
1,784
References
98
Citations by year
2026: 306 · 2025: 319 · 2024: 293 · 2023: 286 · 2022: 220 · 2021: 221 · 2020: 131 · 2019: 7
FWCI
92.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion)
  • Edinburgh Research Explorer (University of Edinburgh) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Queen Mary Research Online (Queen Mary University of London) (submittedVersion)
  • Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion)
  • Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion)
  • Apollo
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust (RE/18/5/34216, 103749, 101067/Z/13/Z, WT206194, 103749/Z/14/Z)
  • University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
  • NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre
  • Cancer Research UK (22231)
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • British Heart Foundation (RM/17/3/33381, RE/18/5/34216)
  • Department of Health and Social Care
  • Children's Liver Disease Foundation
  • Tenovus
  • University of Birmingham
  • University of Bristol
  • Medical Research Council (RM/17/3/33381, MC_PC_15049, MR/N008340/1, 103749, MC_PC_15075, MR/P008887/1, MC_UU_00007/15, MC_PC_15041, RE/18/5/34216, MR/N022556/1)
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/N018869/1, RE/18/5/34216)
  • Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver physiology and pathology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver Diseases and Immunity
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
Keywords
liver cirrhosis, liver fibrosis, fibrotic niche, monocyte differentiation, collagen synthesis, TNFRSF12A, Notch signaling, non-parenchymal cells
MeSH terms
Animals, Duffy Blood-Group System, Female, Humans, Liver, Liver Cirrhosis, Macrophages, Male, Membrane Glycoproteins, Membrane Proteins, Phenotype, Receptors, Cell Surface, Receptors, Immunologic, Case-Control Studies, Cell Lineage, Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha, Hepatocytes, Endothelial Cells, Mice, Hepatic Stellate Cells, Transendothelial and Transepithelial Migration, Single-Cell Analysis, Transcriptome, Tetraspanin 29

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