title: Liver fibrosis and mechanisms of the protective action of medicinal plants targeting inflammation and the immune response.
abstract: Inflammation is a central feature of liver fibrosis as suggested by its role in the activation of hepatic stellate cells leading to extracellular matrix deposition. During liver injury, inflammatory cells are recruited in the injurious site through chemokines attraction. Thus, inflammation could be a target to reduce liver fibrosis. The pandemic trend of obesity, combined with the high incidence of alcohol intake and viral hepatitis infections, highlights the urgent need to find accessible antifibrotic therapies. Medicinal plants are achieving popularity as antifibrotic agents, supported by their safety, cost-effectiveness, and versatility. The aim of this review is to describe the role of inflammation and the immune response in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis and detail the mechanisms of inhibition of both events by medicinal plants in order to reduce liver fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Catedra de Terapia Celular, Escuela de Medicina, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Avenida Morones Prieto 3000 Pte., 64710 Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Florent
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3652-184X
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duval
authors.affiliation: Catedra de Terapia Celular, Escuela de Medicina, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Avenida Morones Prieto 3000 Pte., 64710 Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jorge E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Moreno-Cuevas
authors.affiliation: Catedra de Terapia Celular, Escuela de Medicina, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Avenida Morones Prieto 3000 Pte., 64710 Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: González-Garza
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigación en Inmunología y Proteómica, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Calle Dr. Márquez 162, 06720 Ciudad de México, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maldonado-Bernal
authors.affiliation: Catedra de Terapia Celular, Escuela de Medicina, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Avenida Morones Prieto 3000 Pte., 64710 Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Delia Elva
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Cruz-Vega