The prevalence of various chronic diseases is on the rise. Examples of such diseases include chronic kidney disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, all of which are associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality, and significantly impact health-care budgets. A hallmark of these conditions is the development of fibrosis in the affected organ. Fibrosis is characterized by the excessive production and deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, mainly by activated myofibroblasts. This has a detrimental impact on organ architecture and function, ultimately necessitating organ transplantation. The fibrotic process is orchestrated by a wide variety of different cells and signalling pathways, which tremendously complicates the identification of relevant biomarkers and druggable therapeutic targets. Consequently, there is still no approved treatment available in clinical practice for most forms of organ fibrosis. Thus, there remains an unmet clinical need.
In this Research Topic, we wish to provide:
• A timely overview of the disease- and organ-specific pathogenesis of fibrosis;
• A summary of novel means to (non-invasively) monitor the development and progression of fibrosis in various diseases, thereby aiding in the identification of clinically-relevant diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers;
• Lastly, a summary of recent advances in the field of anti-fibrotic drug development.
The submission of original experimental work on organ fibrosis to this Research Topic is greatly welcomed.
The prevalence of various chronic diseases is on the rise. Examples of such diseases include chronic kidney disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, all of which are associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality, and significantly impact health-care budgets. A hallmark of these conditions is the development of fibrosis in the affected organ. Fibrosis is characterized by the excessive production and deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, mainly by activated myofibroblasts. This has a detrimental impact on organ architecture and function, ultimately necessitating organ transplantation. The fibrotic process is orchestrated by a wide variety of different cells and signalling pathways, which tremendously complicates the identification of relevant biomarkers and druggable therapeutic targets. Consequently, there is still no approved treatment available in clinical practice for most forms of organ fibrosis. Thus, there remains an unmet clinical need.
In this Research Topic, we wish to provide:
• A timely overview of the disease- and organ-specific pathogenesis of fibrosis;
• A summary of novel means to (non-invasively) monitor the development and progression of fibrosis in various diseases, thereby aiding in the identification of clinically-relevant diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers;
• Lastly, a summary of recent advances in the field of anti-fibrotic drug development.
The submission of original experimental work on organ fibrosis to this Research Topic is greatly welcomed.