Li Zhen, Ouyang Hao, Zhu Junfeng
Department of Liver, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Front Pharmacol. 2023 Jun 9;14:1195146. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1195146. eCollection 2023.
MAFLD stands for metabolic-related fatty liver disease, which is a prevalent liver disease affecting one-third of adults worldwide, and is strongly associated with obesity, hyperlipidemia, and type 2 diabetes. It encompasses a broad spectrum of conditions ranging from simple liver fat accumulation to advanced stages like chronic inflammation, tissue damage, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. With limited approved drugs for MAFLD, identifying promising drug targets and developing effective treatment strategies is essential. The liver plays a critical role in regulating human immunity, and enriching innate and adaptive immune cells in the liver can significantly improve the pathological state of MAFLD. In the modern era of drug discovery, there is increasing evidence that traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, natural products and herb components can effectively treat MAFLD. Our study aims to review the current evidence supporting the potential benefits of such treatments, specifically targeting immune cells that are responsible for the pathogenesis of MAFLD. By providing new insights into the development of traditional drugs for the treatment of MAFLD, our findings may pave the way for more effective and targeted therapeutic approaches.
MAFLD代表代谢相关脂肪性肝病，这是一种普遍存在的肝脏疾病，影响着全球三分之一的成年人，并且与肥胖、高脂血症和2型糖尿病密切相关。它涵盖了广泛的病症，从单纯的肝脏脂肪堆积到慢性炎症、组织损伤、纤维化、肝硬化甚至肝细胞癌等晚期阶段。由于MAFLD的获批药物有限，确定有前景的药物靶点并制定有效的治疗策略至关重要。肝脏在调节人体免疫方面起着关键作用，在肝脏中富集先天免疫细胞和适应性免疫细胞可显著改善MAFLD的病理状态。在现代药物研发时代，越来越多的证据表明，中药方剂、天然产物和草药成分可以有效治疗MAFLD。我们的研究旨在回顾当前支持此类治疗潜在益处的证据，特别针对那些导致MAFLD发病机制的免疫细胞。通过为开发治疗MAFLD的传统药物提供新的见解，我们的研究结果可能为更有效、更有针对性的治疗方法铺平道路。
