New challenges in hepatic fibrosis.

Treatment of hepatic fibrosis by simple and inexpensive therapies is a new challenge for the near future. Hepatic fibrosis which may lead to cirrhosis, is indeed associated with most chronic liver diseases and affects millions of people. During the last decade, major breakthroughs have been accomplished in the field of hepatic fibrosis including the discovery of key components of the extracellular matrix, the cellular origin of most matrix proteins, the molecular mechanisms involved in their synthesis and degradation, and the role of cytokines in fibrogenesis. Most of this progress came from the development of new techniques including in vitro model systems which have proven useful for investigating the molecular bases of fibrogenesis. From basic research to clinical application, two major fields are now actively explored: the search for reliable serum markers of fibrogenesis and the discovery of drugs that prevent cirrhosis. A recent approach to treat hepatic fibrosis is to use cytokines, e.g. interferons, that modulate extracellular matrix synthesis.