Antifibrotic Therapy for Liver Cirrhosis

Liver cirrhosis plays a main cause of morbidity and mortality, especially for those at an advanced decompensated stage. The development and progression of cirrhosis involve a diffuse hepatic process characterized by fibrosis and the conversion of normal liver architecture into structurally abnormal nodules. There have been a number of recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis, including evidence of the reversibility of fibrosis and the inactivation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and/or myofibroblasts (MFs), and increasing numbers of small molecules and biological agents have been developed to explore new means of treating this condition. Here, we focus on the main approaches for antifibrotic therapy: (1) elimination of the cause of liver cirrhosis; (2) inhibition of the accumulation of inflammatory cells in the liver; (3) deactivation of HSCs and MFs; (4) control of key signal transduction pathways; and (5) antioxidant therapy.