Cytokine modulation in the therapy of hepatic immunopathology and fibrosis

摘要

Liver inflammation and fibrosis, if unchecked, can have devastating consequences. Persistent accumulation of matrix disrupts liver architecture and compromises the functions of this essential organ. Recent efforts to understand the cellular and molecular events underlying this pathophysiology have revealed the complicity of multiple cytokines and growth factors. Liver injury and unresolved inflammation drive continued attempts at tissue repair, culminating in excess scar or fibrosis. The role of TGF-beta in these events appears resolute2'3 and, as such, provides a target for interventional strategies.