Mechanisms of liver fibrosis: New insights into an old problem

Liver fibrosis, the formation of a hepatic scar in chronic liver injury, results from complex interrelated changes in the extracellular matrix, cell populations and cytokines of the liver. Although myofibroblasts derived from hepatic stellate cells are important collagen-producing cells, recent research has identified additional fibrogenic cell populations as well as new soluble, mechanical and immunologic mediators of fibrosis. These findings have greatly expanded the range of possible targets for antifibrotic therapy.

Section editor:Yu-Xiao Yang – University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA