Stellate

Hepatic Stellate Cells (HSC)—historically referred to as Ito cells or lipocytes—are specialized, vitamin A-storing cells residing within the space of Disse (the perisinusoidal space) between sinusoidal endothelial cells and basolateral hepatocyte cords. While they share functional features with classic mural pericytes, including contractility and a perivascular location, HSC are a distinct cell type with unique developmental origins and specialized transcriptional profiles. In a healthy, homeostatic liver, HSC maintain a quiescent phenotype (qHSC), acting as the primary hepatic repository for systemic retinoids, though hepatocytes and other local cell types also participate in retinoid storage and metabolism to a lesser extent.

Through their basal contractile behavior, qHSC participate in regulating sinusoidal microvascular blood flow and capillary tone alongside endothelial and neural signaling pathways. Because primary human liver tissue is scarce and human HSC phenotypes shift rapidly when isolated in vitro, contemporary research relies on three primary platforms: Human Hepatic Stellate Cells (HHSC), Human iPSC-Derived Hepatic Stellate Cells (i-HHSC), and Mouse Hepatic Stellate Cells (MHSC).