The role of dendritic cells in MASH: friends or foes?

Front Immunol. 2024 Apr 8:15:1379225. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1379225. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Dendritic cells (DCs) are major antigen-presenting cells that connect innate and adaptive immunity. Hepatic DCs are less activated and contribute to maintain the tolerogenic environment of the liver under steady state. Several studies indicated DCs in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), representing a substantial burden on healthcare systems due to its association with liver-related morbidity and mortality. Studies highlighted the potential disease-promoting role of liver DCs in the development of MASH while other experimental systems suggested their protective role. This review discusses this controversy and the current understanding of how DCs affect the pathogenesis of MASH.

Keywords: MASH; dendritic cells; inflammation; liver; metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dendritic Cells* / immunology
  • Fatty Liver / immunology
  • Humans
  • Liver / immunology

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. VL-K is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy – EXC 2151 – 390873048 and DFG Project numbers 411345524 and 432325352.