Resolving the fibrotic niche of human liver cirrhosis at single-cell level - Seurat RData object

We profile the transcriptomes of non-parenchymal cell types present in healthy and cirrhotic human liver. In particular, we uncover a novel scar-associated TREM2+CD9+ macrophage subpopulation, which expands in liver fibrosis, differentiates from circulating monocytes, has a corollary population in mouse liver fibrosis and is pro-fibrogenic. We also define novel ACKR1+ and PLVAP+ endothelial cells which expand in cirrhosis, are topographically scar-restricted and enhance leucocyte transmigration.

本研究对健康与肝硬化人源肝脏中的非实质细胞（non-parenchymal cell）类型开展转录组（transcriptome）分析。尤为重要的是，本研究发现了一种全新的瘢痕相关性TREM2+CD9+巨噬细胞亚群：该亚群在肝纤维化进程中发生扩增，由循环单核细胞分化而来，在小鼠肝纤维化模型中存在对应细胞群体，且具有促纤维化功能。此外，本研究还鉴定出两种全新的ACKR1+与PLVAP+内皮细胞亚群：这类细胞在肝硬化进程中扩增，解剖学上仅局限于瘢痕区域，并可促进白细胞跨内皮迁移。