Liver Fibrosis

Liver fibrosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. All chronic liver disease, if left untreated, can lead to fibrosis. Liver fibrosis is an excessively abundant, wound healing process in which extreme connective tissue accumulates in the liver. The ECM is degraded insufficiently, overproduced, or both. Although being a wound-healing process, severe fibrosis leads to disordered tissue structure. This is stimulated by chronic injury, especially if inflammation is involved. Advanced liver fibrosis leads to liver failure, cirrhosis, and portal hypertension and might need liver transplantation.

Signaling Pathway:

Signaling by the cytokine transforming growth factor-𝛽1 (TGF-𝛽1) plays a pivotal role in growth and differentiation, maintenance of liver homeostasis. Under pathological conditions, TGF-𝛽1 is the strongest known inducer of fibrosis. Other signaling pathways are involved in liver fibrogenesis includes NF𝜅B, Stat3 and TLR4-Signaling.

Induction of Liver Fibrosis:

The concentration range used for intraperitoneal administration of TAA is 100 to 200 mg/kg body weight, two to three times/week for 6-8 weeks, resulting in hepatic centrilobular necrosis, increased transaminase activity and robust liver fibrosis.