Effect of T lymphocyte on hepatic stellate cell activation in liver fibrosis

Liver fibrosis is a repair reaction of the whole body after liver injury caused by many causes (such as viral hepatitis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease). It is mainly manifested as excessive proliferation and deposition of extracellular matrix in liver tissue, which leads to abnormal changes in liver tissue structure, cirrhosis and liver failure, and affects the normal physiological function of liver. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are generally considered to be the main cell type that forms liver fibrosis. During liver fibrosis, immune cells play an important role in regulating the activation of HSC, such as interleukin 17 (IL-17), IL- 10 and transforming growth factor β, which are secreted by immune cells in the liver, including helper T cells 17, Th1/Th2 cells, and regulatory T cells. This paper mainly introduces the regulation of T lymphocytes on HSC activation and its impact in fibrosis to expand potential therapeutic approaches to modulate liver fibrosis.