Hepatic stellate cells induce myeloid derived suppressor cells

Both inflammation and immune suppression are implicated to play a role in tumorigenesis and progression. Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are associated with both inflammation and suppression of immunity. However, little is known about how or where MDSCs are induced and from which cells they originate. The liver is known for its unique immune regulatory function. Here, we investigated the relevance of the interaction of human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) with peripheral blood monocytes for development of MDSCs. Culturing freshly isolated human monocytes on primary HSCs we were able to characterized the…