MicroRNA-221 inhibition in hepatocytes ameliorates liver fibrosis

Excessive extracellular matrix accumulation due to chronic liver injury leads to fibrosis, cirrhosis and may then eventually, progress to hepatocellular carcinoma. Small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of multiple liver functions and diseases. Among various miRNAs, miR-221 has recently been reported to be upregulated in liver fibrosis, and its expression correlates with severity of liver fibrosis in HCV patients. We show that downregulation of miR-221 in hepatocytes can ameliorate liver fibrosis by decreasing the activation of HSCs. We inhibited miR-221 expression by an adeno…