Nature Genetics · 28 September 2026 · From issue 44
A human single-cell atlas identifies OLR1+ scar-associated macrophages as a potential therapeutic target for chronic liver disease
A liver immune cell marker called OLR1 tracks with worse scarring and may be a treatment target.
Eleni Papachristoforou, Kexin Kong et al.
A study of liver cells from 649,295 samples found a specific immune cell type linked to scarring in chronic liver disease. This cell carries a marker called OLR1 and gathers where scar tissue forms. Blocking this marker reduced scar-forming activity in lab-grown human liver tissue models.
The size of the liver cell map built from 42 healthy people and 35 patients with liver disease.
Mice and lab tissue models only, no human treatment tested yet.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 6 October 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Genetics). Read the source
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