MTOR and Hepatic fibrosis: As the most classic autophagy signaling pathway, the mTOR pathway, has been implicated as a critical regulator of autophagy, pharmacological targeting of mTOR activity has been an attractive therapeutic strategy.48 Consistent with our previous study,17,44 direct mTOR inhibitors, such as rapamycin, have been shown to promote autophagy and reduce apoptosis, thus stimulating HSCs activation, thereby promoting liver fibrosis.49,50 Here, we identified the downstream signaling pathway PI3K/AKT/mTOR by which BMSCs regulate HSCs autophagy.