Immune Cell Trafficking to the Liver

The human liver is an organ with a diverse array of immunologic functions. Its unique anatomic position that leads to it receiving all the mesenteric venous blood, combined with its unique micro anatomy, allows it to serve as a sentinel for the body's immune system. Hepatocytes, biliary epithelial cells, Kupffer cells, stellate cells, and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells express key molecules that recruit and activate innate and adaptive immunity. Additionally, a diverse array of lymphoid and myeloid immune cells resides within and traffics to the liver in specific circumstances. Derangement of these trafficking mechanisms underlie the pathophysiology of autoimmune liver diseases, NASH, and liver transplantation. Here, we review these pathways and interactions along with potential targets that have been identified to be exploited for therapeutic purposes. Disclosure: AG receives research support from United Therapeutics. SC and JE have no conflicts of interest to report. Funding: SC received support from the NIH 5T32HL007854-19 grant. AG was supported by the Louis J. Gerstner, Jr. Foundation Award and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Career Development Award in the Memory of the University of Michigan Transplant Team, NIH-NIAID R56 AI122332 and by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health through Grant Number UL1TR001873. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Adam Griesemer, MD, Department of Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, Floor 14, New York, NY 10032, Tel: 212-305-9691, Fax: 212-342-5600, Email: adg2101@cumc.columbia.edu Copyright © 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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