New advances in drug therapies for liver fibrosis / 临床肝胆病杂志

ABSTRACT

The morbidity and mortality of liver fibrosis induced by a variety of causes remain high around the world and tend to increase year by year. At present, there are no effective radical treatments for liver fibrosis except liver transplantation, and the serious complications of liver fibrosis greatly threaten patients' health and cause a heavy medical burden. Therefore, effective drugs are needed to fight against liver fibrosis. In recent years, great achievements have been made in the research and development of anti-fibrotic drugs and the treatment of liver fibrosis. This article reviews the research advances in drugs and traditional Chinese medicines which act on the different targets of liver fibrosis, inhibit the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells, enhance the activity of matrix metalloproteinase and inhibit the activity of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP), inhibit inflammatory response, and regulate immune response, as well as the combination of nanoparticles and anti-fibrotic drugs and gene therapy for liver fibrosis.