14-kDa Phosphohistidine Phosphatase is a Potential Therapeutic Target for Liver Fibrosis

Liver fibrosis, a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, leads to liver damage, seriously threatening human health. In our previous study, we demonstrated that 14-kDa phosphohistidine phosphatase (PHP14) was upregulated in fibrotic liver tissue and involved in the migration and lamellipodia formation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). In this study, we evaluated PHP14 as a therapeutic target for liver fibrosis and investigated the mechanism by which it mediates liver fibrosis. AAV-Phpt1 administration significantly attenuates CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in mice. In particular, fibrosis-associated inflammatory infiltration was significantly suppressed after PHP14 knockdown. Mechanistically, PHP14 regulated macrophage recruitment, infiltration and migration by affecting podosome formation of macrophages. Inhibition of PHP14 decreased the expression of the fibrogenic signature at the early stage of liver fibrogenesis and the activation of HSCs in vivo. Thus, PHP14 can be considered a potential therapeutic target for liver fibrosis. liver mRNA profiles of normal, CCl4-treated adeno-associated virus (AAV)-Ctrl and AAV-shPhpt1 mice after 1 week of CCl4 injection