title: Update on implications and mechanisms of angiogenesis in liver fibrosis.
abstract: Liver fibrosis occurs as a compensatory response to the process of tissue repair in a wide range of chronic liver injures. It is characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix in liver tissues. As the pathogenesis progresses without effective management, it will lead to formation of liver fiber nodules and disruption of normal liver structure and function, finally culminating in cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. A new discovery shows that liver angiogenesis is strictly associated with, and may even favor fibrogenic progression of chronic liver diseases. Recent basic and clinical investigations also demonstrate that liver fibrogenesis is accompanied by pathological angiogenesis and sinusoidal remodeling, which critically determine the pathogenesis and prognosis of liver fibrosis. Inhibition of pathological angiogenesis is considered to be a new strategy for the treatment of liver fibrosis. This review summarizes current knowledge on the process of angiogenesis, the relationships between angiogenesis and liver fibrosis, and on the molecular mechanisms of liver angiogenesis. On the other hand, it also presents the different strategies that have been used in experimental models to counteract excessive angiogenesis and the role of angiogenesis in the prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Zili
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Shizhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zheng
keywords: angiogenesis; endothelial cells; hepatic stellate cells; liver fibrosis