Dendritic cells and liver fibrosis.

Dendritic cells are a relative rare population of specialized antigen presenting cells that are distributed through most lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues and play a critical role in linking the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. The liver contains a heterogeneous population of dendritic cells that may contribute to liver inflammation and fibrosis through a number of mechanisms. This review summarizes current knowledge on the development and characterization of liver dendritic cells and their potential impact on liver fibrosis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Fibrosis: Translation of basic research to human disease.