Cirrhosis: new research provides a basis for rational and targeted treatments

doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7407.143

BMJ 2003;327:143-147 (19 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7407.143

Clinical review

Science, medicine, and the future

Cirrhosis: new research provides a basis for rational and targeted treatments

John P Iredale, professor¹

¹ Division of Infection, Inflammation and Repair, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD jpi@soton.ac.uk

Liver transplantation and antiviral treatments for hepatitishave improved the outlook for many patients with liver disease.For patients with cirrhosis, new developments herald targetedtreatments

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

It is an exciting time to be working in hepatology. The successof liver transplantation and the advances in the radiologicaland endoscopic management of portal hypertension have improvedthe longevity and quality of life of patients with liver cirrhosis.Additionally, the development of effective antiviral treatmentsmeans that disease can be cured in many patients infected withhepatitis B and hepatitis C. However, these interventions alsoserve to highlight our current impotence in altering the underlyingfibrotic process in many patients with liver disease. Thisrather depressing perspective may soon change: data from clinicaland laboratory based research are showing that cirrhosis maybe reversible. By highlighting the attributes required of an effective antifibrotic, a new dynamic model is likely to leadto the development of targeted treatment for liver cirrhosis.

Methods

This article is based on knowledge accrued over 13 years ofwork investigating the mechanisms of fibrosis and . . . [Full text of this article]

Clinical impact of cirrhosis

Inflammation and repair

Pathogenesis of fibrosis

Matrix synthesis and turnover in fibrosis and cirrhosis

Models of resolution of liver fibrosis

Stellate cells as mediators of portal hypertension

Serum markers of fibrosis

The future

CiteULike

Complore

Connotea

Del.icio.us Add to Digg

Digg

Technorati What's this?

Relevant Article

The pleasures of deep reading: Richard Smith
BMJ 2003 327: 0. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

Wandzioch, E., Kolterud, A., Jacobsson, M., Friedman, S. L., Carlsson, L. (2004). Lhx2-/- mice develop liver fibrosis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 16549-16554 [Abstract] [Full text]
Zhou, X., Murphy, F. R., Gehdu, N., Zhang, J., Iredale, J. P., Benyon, R. C. (2004). Engagement of {alpha}v{beta}3 Integrin Regulates Proliferation and Apoptosis of Hepatic Stellate Cells. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 23996-24006 [Abstract] [Full text]