Drugs to Modify Liver Fibrosis Progression and Regression

Abstract

Different etiologies can cause liver fibrosis, but the outcome is mainly the same: Excess extracellular matrix content and dysfunctional liver cells. Nowadays, most therapies for chronic liver disease are focused on decreasing/controlling the causal agent itself (for example antivirals for treating viral hepatitis and reducing alcohol consumption and dietary changes for ALD and NAFLD patients) or treating complications such as portal hypertension or other clinical consequences; nevertheless, there are no specific drugs targeting liver fibrosis in the clinical scenario. Current studies focus on developing and testing new drugs able to target liver fibrosis. In fact, some of them are already in advanced phases of clinical trials. In this chapter, we summarize the most relevant ongoing therapeutic strategies, both on the preclinical and clinical sides, that have the potential on treating liver fibrosis by targeting its underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms.