Abstract:Following liver injury, hepatic stellate cells become activated, a process leading to liver fibrosis. During activation, hepatic stellate cells undergo metabolic reprogramming to satisfy the enormous energy requirements necessary for their proliferation and secretion of extracellular matrix. This reprogramming entails alterations in carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism. A comprehensive understanding of these metabolic alterations can aid in the development of novel antihepatic fibrosis therapies, aimed at mitigating liver fibrosis by targeting the metabolic reprogramming of hepatic stellate cells to inhibit their activation. In this article, we review the metabolic reprogramming of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins in hepatic stellate cells at the onset of liver fibrosis and discuss the role of these alterations in the progression of the condition.
