Liver fibrosis and hepatic stellate cells: Etiology, pathological hallmarks and therapeutic targets

Liver fibrosis is a reversible wound-healing process aimed at maintaining organ integrity, and presents as the critical pre-stage of liver cirrhosis, which will eventually progress to hepatocellular carcinoma in the absence of liver transplantation. Fibrosis generally results from chronic hepatic injury caused by various factors, mainly viral infection, schistosomiasis, and alcoholism; however, the exact pathological mechanisms are still unknown. Although numerous drugs have been shown to have antifibrotic activity in vitro and in animal models, none of these drugs have been shown to be efficacious in the clinic. Importantly, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a key role in the initiation, progression, and…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 81300251