Role of N-Ras in murine models of liver fibrosis

Abstract

The Ras genes (H-Ras, K-Ras and N-Ras) encode for the RAS proteins with pivotal roles in the regulation of cell survival, differentiation, growth and apoptosis. Apart from their oncogenic properties, little is known on the context and cell-dependent pathophysiological roles of RAS proteins. In particular, N-RAS is critically involved in immune cell function. Hepatic fibrogenesis develops in response to inflammatory cytokines, cellular interactions with immune cells and morphogenic signals. In the present work, we hypothesized that N-Ras plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of liver fibrogenesis...