Pathogenesis of liver fibrosis

Liver fibrosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide due to chronic viral hepatitis and, more recently, from fatty liver disease associated with obesity. Hepatic stellate cell activation represents a critical event in fibrosis because these cells become the primary source of extracel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAnnual review of pathology Vol. 6; p. 425
Main Authors Hernandez-Gea, Virginia, Friedman, Scott L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 28.02.2011
Subjects
Humans
Liver - immunology
Liver - pathology
Liver Cirrhosis - etiology
Liver Cirrhosis - immunology
Liver Cirrhosis - pathology
Signal Transduction - immunology
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Summary:Liver fibrosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide due to chronic viral hepatitis and, more recently, from fatty liver disease associated with obesity. Hepatic stellate cell activation represents a critical event in fibrosis because these cells become the primary source of extracellular matrix in liver upon injury. Use of cell-culture and animal models has expanded our understanding of the mechanisms underlying stellate cell activation and has shed new light on genetic regulation, the contribution of immune signaling, and the potential reversibility of the disease. As pathways of fibrogenesis are increasingly clarified, the key challenge will be translating new advances into the development of antifibrotic therapies for patients with chronic liver disease.
ISSN:1553-4014
DOI:10.1146/annurev-pathol-011110-130246