Homing in on the hepatic scar: recent advances in cell-specific targeting of liver fibrosis [version 1; referees: 3 approved]

Despite the high prevalence of liver disease globally, there are currently no approved anti-fibrotic therapies to treat patients with liver fibrosis. A major goal in anti-fibrotic therapy is the development of drug delivery systems that allow direct targeting of the major pro-scarring cell populations within the liver (hepatic myofibroblasts) whilst not perturbing the homeostatic functions of other mesenchymal cell types present within both the liver and other organ systems. In this review we will outline some of the recent advances in our understanding of myofibroblast biology, discussing both the origin of myofibroblasts and possible myofibroblast fates during hepatic fibrosis progression and resolution. We will then discuss the various strategies currently being employed to increase the precision with which we deliver potential anti-fibrotic therapies to patients with liver fibrosis.

Abstract licence: CC BY

40 more references, whose wording the paper’s licence keeps private.

• Single-Cell Transcriptomics Uncovers Zonation of Function in the Mesenchyme during Liver Fibrosis · 2019

A person counts once a day per paper. We keep no cookie and no address: a reader is a hash that changes every day. Any month under five reads shows no number.