Kuppfer cell
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Kupffer cells are specialized macrophages located in the liver that form part of the reticuloendothelial system. Initailly characterised as "sternzellen" (star cells or stellate cells) by their discoverer Carl Wilhelm von Kupffer in 1876, they have since become known as Kupffer cells (Haubrich 2004).
Their development begins in the bone marrow with the genesis of promonocytes and monoblasts into monocytes and then on to peripheral blood monocytes completing their differentation into Kupffer cells.
As a result of steady state population dynamics or inflamation it is suggested that M-CSF (Monocyte-colony stimulation factor) is the cytokine responsible for its differentiation (Naito et al 1997).
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References
- Haubrich WS. Kupffer of Kupffer cells. Gastroenterology 2004;127:16. PMID 15236167.
- Naito M, Hasegawa G, Takahashi K. Development, differentiation, and maturation of Kupffer cells. Microsc Res Tech 1997;39:350-64. PMID 9407545.
