Antifibrotic effects of CCN1/CYR61 in primary portal myofibroblasts through induction of reactive oxygen species and resulting apoptosis

Cysteine-rich protein 61 (CCN1/CYR61) is a matricellular protein of the CCN family that comprises six secreted CCN proteins in mammals [1, 2]. In adults, CCN1/CYR61 expression is associated with inflammation and injury repair. Recent studies showed that CCN1/CYR61 limits fibrosis in models of cutaneous wound healing by inducing cellular senescence in myofibroblasts of the granulation tissue which thereby transform into an extracellular matrix-degrading phenotype [3]. We here investigated CCN1/CYR61 expression in primary profibrogenic liver cells (i.e. hepatic stellate cells and periportal myofibroblasts) and fou…