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REVIEW ARTICLE

Liver fibrosis: Clinical assessment, pathogenesis, and anti-fibrotic therapy

Xin Liu1 ,  Chongmiao Yang1 ,  Yanyan Liu1 ,  Xiaowen Lin1 ,  Wei Su2 ,  Jian Sun2* ,  Xiaoguang Zhao1*
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1 Zhuhai People’s Hospital (The Affiliated Hospital of Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
2 Translational Medicine Research Center, Medical Pathology Center, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, School of Medicine Chongqing University, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
EJMO, 8125 https://doi.org/10.36922/ejmo.8125
Submitted: 22 December 2024 | Revised: 25 February 2025 | Accepted: 6 March 2025 | Published: 26 March 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Liver fibrosis represents a prevalent pathological change that occurs during the progression of chronic liver disease, which is characterized by excessive reparative responses following hepatic tissue injury. Advances in diagnostic and imaging technologies have facilitated a deeper understanding of liver function and metabolic changes, which are crucial for early and accurate diagnosis of liver fibrosis. Furthermore, elucidating the signaling pathways involved in liver fibrogenesis provides valuable insights into its pathogenesis and progression, guiding clinical management and treatment strategies for patients with liver fibrosis. This review critically evaluates various clinical and experimental therapies aimed at mitigating or reversing liver fibrosis. Specific targeted nanocarrier drug delivery systems and traditional herbal medicines hold promise in enhancing anti-fibrotic efficacy and inhibiting disease progression.

Keywords
Liver fibrosis
Hepatic stellate cells
Non-invasive assessment
Anti-fibrotic therapy
Traditional Chinese medicine
Funding
This study is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32200936, 82200070, 82304589), the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2021A1515110561, 2021A1515111049), the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment (2021B1212040004), and the Xiangshan Talent Scientific Research Start-up Fund of Zhuhai People’s Hospital (2021XSYC-07).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Eurasian Journal of Medicine and Oncology, Electronic ISSN: 2587-196X Print ISSN: 2587-2400, Published by AccScience Publishing
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