Galectin-3 inhibition as a potential therapeutic target in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis liver fibrosis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease continues to be one of the major health challenges facing the world, with estimates of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) prevalence in over 25 percent of the world's population. NASH represents a spectrum of disease that may lead to hepatic fibrosis and eventual cirrhosis, with the risk of cirrhosis decompensation, and hepatocellular carcinoma. New therapies are desperately needed for NASH, especially for later stages of fibrosis and cirrhosis. Galectin-3 inhibition is being explored as a new liver antifibrotic therapy. This concise review will outline the state of the art of this new therapeutic target.