Stellate cells are implicated in various diseases due to their involvement in fibrosis and tissue repair. In the liver, activation of hepatic stellate cells leads to liver fibrosis, a hallmark of chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In the pancreas, the activation of pancreatic stellate cells contributes to the fibrotic stroma seen in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. In the central nervous system, reactive astrocytes are associated with neuroinflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.
