Advances on TGF-β/Smad signal pathway in hepatic fibrosis

Abstract

The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway plays a vital role in regulating cell processes. As far as the liver is concerned, the TGF-β signaling pathway runs through liver diseases, from theinitial liver cell injury to inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and cancer. TGF-β causes hepatic stellate cells to activate into fibroblasts, and promotes the death of a large number of hepatocytes, which promotes the development of liver fibrosis to cirrhosis, and the over-activated TGF-β signal is closely related to the development of liver cancer. In this review, the author will describe the mechanism of action of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in the process of liver fibrosis, as well as the new progress made in the experimental and clinical diagnosis and treatmentof liver diseases through the TGF-β signaling pathway. In order to provide new evidence for the study of liverfibrosis.

Keywords

• liver fibrosis
• hepatic stellate cells
• transforming growth factor-β
• smad