MicroRNA-ITGA6/ Has2 signaling regulates liver fibrosis

Liver fibrosis and cirrhosis are chronic liver diseases which contribute to the deaths of millions of individuals annually and together represent a major healthcare burden, globally. On the cellular level, the activation of quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) into pro-fibrotic myofibroblasts is one of the key drivers of fibrogenesis. HSCs change their transcriptional and epigenetic signature, and change their microRNA (miRNA) expression pattern. However, identification and in vivo functional analyses of miRNAs, which can modulate pro-fibrotic myofibroblasts remain to be investigated. We aimed to identify miRNAs that can suppress the activation of myofibroblasts in vitro and to analyze anti-fibrotic potential of the identified miRNAs in vivo.