Targeting Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells: An Attractive Therapeutic Strategy to Control Inflammation in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Xue-Kai Wang; Zong-Gen Peng

doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.655557

Targeting Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells: An Attractive Therapeutic Strategy to Control Inflammation in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Front Pharmacol. 2021 Apr 15:12:655557. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.655557. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Xue-Kai Wang¹, Zong-Gen Peng^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
² Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, National Health and Family Planning Commission, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
³ Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), especially its advanced stage nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), has become a threatened public health problem worldwide. However, no specific drug has been approved for clinical use to treat patients with NASH, though there are many promising candidates against NAFLD in the drug development pipeline. Recently, accumulated evidence showed that liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) play an essential role in the occurrence and development of liver inflammation in patients with NAFLD. LSECs, as highly specialized endothelial cells with unique structure and anatomical location, contribute to the maintenance of liver homeostasis and could be a promising therapeutic target to control liver inflammation of NAFLD. In this review, we outline the pathophysiological roles of LSECs related to inflammation of NAFLD, highlight the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects of LSECs, and discuss the potential drug development strategies against NAFLD based on targeting to LSECs.

Keywords: capillarization; endothelial dysfunction; inflammation; liver sinusoidal endothelial cell; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; therapeutic strategy.

Publication types

Review