Mouse Hepatic Stellate Cells-Immortalized by SV40T Antigens

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are located within the space of Disse, close to hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells and hepatocytes. They have an irregular morphology, with round or irregularly shaped cell bodies often extending several star-like processes that surround the hepatic sinusoids. Additionally, HSCs extend processes to contact hepatocytes and neighboring stellate cells. When the liver is damaged by inflammation or mechanical stimulation, hepatic stellate cells become activated. Their phenotype changes from a quiescent to an activated state. Activated hepatic stellate cells, on one hand, contribute to the formation of liver fibrosis and the remodeling of intrahepatic structures through proliferation and extracellular matrix secretion. On the other hand, they increase intrasinusoidal pressure via cell contraction. Mouse hepatic stellate cells were immortalized through lentiviral transfection carrying the SV40 gene (these cells acquire puromycin resistance after transfection).