ACTA1 and Hepatic fibrosis: It is well known that activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is currently recognized as a central event in the development of hepatic fibrosis, in which activated HSCs participate in the formation of hepatic fibrosis through proliferation and secretion of α-SMA protein, which is a marker of activated HSCs and plays a central role in extracellular matrix (ECM) production in response to liver damage.