Bile duct cells reveal key pathway that may shape personalized fibrosis treatment

Many liver diseases share a common characteristic: fibrosis, the progressive accumulation of scarring in the liver tissue. Those scars—the liver's response to persistent injuries or attacks—can prevent the organ from functioning properly. Fibrosis affects millions of people worldwide and is a decisive step in the progression toward cirrhosis, a potentially fatal condition that can develop into liver cancer. Now, a study by the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), published in Nature Metabolism, has identified a key mechanism in the development of liver fibrosis. This finding represents a further step toward the development of personalized therapies which help prevent its progression.