Progress in researches on macrophages in liver fibrosis of schistosomiasis

Abstract Schistosomiasis causes the imbalance of fibrogenesis and pro-fibrinolytic promoting factors, leading to extracellular matrix deposition and liver fibrosis. The activation of liver macrophages (Kupffer cells) and stellate cells are the two crucial events, which constitute a complex network regulating fibrosis balance. This review discusses the function of fibrotic cytokines secreted by macrophages, and their interaction and mutual influence with stellate cells in hepatic fibrosis. Additionally, the expected progress and novel in vitro and in vivo approaches that have been achieved recently in our laboratory are briefly introduced.