The liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC) – a specialized scavenger endothelial cell involved in waste and virus clearance from blood 

By Karen Kristine Sørensen, Prof., DVM, PhD, Vascular Biology Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø - The Arctic University of Norway. 

The liver sinusoids are equipped with a highly specialized endothelium with an extraordinarily high endocytic activity compared to most other cells. The liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) express a unique set of high affinity, broad-specter endocytosis receptors, and act as scavenger cells removing large amounts of potentially dangerous macromolecules and nanoparticles from blood. They are also increasingly acknowledged as important players in liver immunity. In addition, the cells contain numerous fenestrae, or open pores, organized in sieve plates, that allow easy traffic of solutes, proteins, and colloids, such as lipoproteins between blood and hepatocytes. Our research group are focusing on the basic biology of LSEC and other scavenger endothelial cells, and the role of these cells in the elimination of tissue waste macromolecules, nanomaterial, and virus from blood. We are also studying dynamics and regulation of the LSEC fenestrae.