A research by the University of Valencia, CIBERehd and FISABIO offers an exhaustive analysis of the different published studies on autophagy, a cellular process involved in liver fibrosis. The work addresses the different aspects of a scientific dichotomy in this field and paves the way for the search for possible therapeutic targets for the treatment and prevention of the disease. The article is The Journal of Pathology’s cover story.
Liver fibrosis occurs as a result of a persistent liver injury that ends in a pathological process. The parenchyma – tissue that provides functionality to the organ – is progressively replaced by fibrotic tissue; process mediated by the activation of so-called ‘liver star cells’.
Over the last few years many efforts have been devoted to understanding the molecular and cellular pathways that lead to the activation of star cells. Different studies have identified autophagy as a key process in the differentiation of these cells.
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