title: Hedgehog signaling pathway as key player in liver fibrosis: new insights and perspectives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is a pivotal cellular event in liver fibrosis. Therefore, improving our understanding of the molecular pathways that are involved in these processes is essential to generate new therapies for liver fibrosis. Greater knowledge of the role of the hedgehog signaling pathway in liver fibrosis could improve understanding of the liver fibrosis pathogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of this review is to describe the present knowledge about the hedgehog signaling pathway, which significantly participates in liver fibrosis and HSC activation, and look ahead on new perspectives of hedgehog signaling pathway research. Moreover, we will discuss the different interactions with hedgehog signaling pathway-regulated liver fibrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hedgehog pathway modulates several important aspects of function, including cell proliferation, activation and differentiation. Targeting the hedgehog pathway can be a promising direction in liver fibrosis treatment. We discuss new perspectives of hedgehog signaling pathway activation in liver fibrosis and HSC fate, including DNA methylation, methyl CpG binding protein 2, microRNA, irradiation and metabolism that influence hedgehog signaling pathway transduction. These findings identify the hedgehog pathway as a potentially important for biomarker development and therapeutic targets in liver fibrosis. Future studies are needed in order to find safer and more effective hedgehog-based drugs.
authors.affiliation: The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Department of Pharmacology , Hefei 230601 , China.
authors.forename: Jing-Jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D015195:Drug Design; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins
keywords: DNA methylation; extracellular matrix; hedgehog signaling pathway; hepatic stellate cell; liver fibrosis; microRNA