Approaches for treatment of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.
In the past 20 years, the elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for liver fibrogenesis has provided many potential targets for antifibrotic treatments. Difficulty has arisen, however, from the fact that fibrogenesis is part of a general beneficial wound healing process. To be successful, an antifibrotic treatment of HCV might need to be delivered selectively to the hepatic site of fibrogenesis or targeted precisely at an HCV-specific regulatory mechanism. It is likely that in the future, besides viral eradication, another treatment goal in chronic HCV infection will be to reverse existing fibrosis, but considerable work is necessary before making this a reality.
Bedossa
Pierre
P
Department of Pathology, Service d'anatomie pathologique, Hôpital Bicêtre, Université Paris XI, 78 rue du general Leclerc, 94725 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France. pbedossa@teaser.fr
Paradis
Valerie
V
D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000254:growth & development*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D003094:Collagen