Fibrosis
Fibrosis is a pathological process in which persistent tissue injury, inflammation, or cellular stress promotes activation of fibroblasts and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix components, particularly collagen.
Fibrosis is a pathological process in which persistent tissue injury, inflammation, or cellular stress promotes activation of fibroblasts and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix components, particularly collagen. Progressive collagen accumulation can distort tissue architecture and impair organ function. In the liver, fibrosis is a major feature of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which develops in the setting of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease, hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, and liver injury. Fibrosis staging ranges from none or mild disease (F0/F1) through moderate (F2) and severe or advanced fibrosis (F3/F4); assessment may involve histology, serum-based risk measures such as Fibrosis-4, magnetic resonance elastography, and combined elastography–ultrasound approaches.
Current research treats fibrosis as both a clinical risk marker and a therapeutic target. In MASH, studies have examined metabolic and inflammatory pathways including PPARα/CCL2 signaling, fatty-acid metabolism, and AOAH-mediated lipopolysaccharide handling in macrophages and Kupffer cells. Other disease-specific investigations have evaluated HIF-1α inhibition by digoxin in thyroid eye disease, engineered mesenchymal stem cells that regulate the integrated stress response, and combinations designed to target fibrosis in cancer. These approaches extend efforts to integrate noninvasive liver fibrosis risk stratification into diabetes care while exploring pathway-directed, immune, and cellular therapies across distinct fibrotic diseases.
Where the papers sit
9 papers from the last 6 months study fibrosis directly · updated from PubMed 3 Oct 2026
Study type 0 clinical trials · 1 observational · 1 human data · 3 preclinical · 4 unclassified
Themes 3 themes
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MASH Fibrosis Risk Stratification
Noninvasive MASH fibrosis staging is moving toward magnetic resonance elastography, combined elastography–ultrasound, and imaging-based risk models. Fibrosis-4 and biopsy remain clinical anchors, while pharmacist-integrated diabetes care embeds risk assessment in routine management. Semaglutide, including add-on luseogliflozin, represents a parallel move toward metabolic treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes. Validation against biopsy and long-term outcome reduction remains open.
4 papers · 44.4%
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Inflammatory Fibrosis Mechanisms
Metabolic and inflammatory signaling are being targeted as drivers of fibrosis, with PPARα/CCL2 and fatty-acid oxidation implicated in MASH. Lipidated amino-acid supplementation is presented as a way to correct metabolic deficiency and reduce fibrosis. In thyroid eye disease, digoxin instead acts through HIF-1α to attenuate inflammation and fibrosis. These disease-specific preclinical mechanisms support pathway-directed therapy, but do not establish a shared clinical strategy.
2 papers · 22.2%
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Others — Immune Stress and Cell Therapy
TLR4/LPS signaling and macrophage endotoxin tolerance are linked to inflammatory MASH fibrosis, while engineered mesenchymal stem cells target the integrated stress response. A separate breast-cancer study combines NKG2D-CAR T cells with all-trans retinoic acid and lansoprazole. The common emphasis is immune or cellular-stress manipulation, but diseases, mechanisms and endpoints diverge. No single therapeutic direction or shared fibrosis program emerges from this group.
3 papers · 33.3%
Papers
The 9 papers from the last 6 months that study fibrosis directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
MASH Fibrosis Risk Stratification (4)
- Embedding metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease fibrosis risk stratification within pharmacist-integrated diabetes comanagement in primary care. Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy · 29 Sept 2026 PMID 42808546
- Efficacy of Luseogliflozin Added to Semaglutide in Patients With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomised, Open-Label Trial. Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 17 Aug 2026 PMID 42605535
- Simplified definition and imaging-based stratification of at-risk MASH using magnetic resonance elastography. Hepatology communications · 11 Aug 2026 PMID 42579768
- A combi-elasto ultrasound based deep learning model on liver fibrosis staging for suspected MASLD/MASH patients. BMC medical imaging · 18 Jul 2026 PMID 42471585
Inflammatory Fibrosis Mechanisms (2)
- Targeting lipidated amino acid deficiency mitigates fibrosis via a PPARα/CCL2 axis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis models. The Journal of clinical investigation · 24 Sept 2026 PMID 42784330
- Digoxin inhibits HIF-1α to attenuate inflammation and fibrosis in thyroid eye disease. Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 24 Jul 2026 PMID 42497831
Others — Immune Stress and Cell Therapy (3)
- AOAH-mediated LPS inactivation limits macrophage endotoxin tolerance and promotes inflammation and fibrosis in MASH. Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology · 29 Aug 2026 PMID 42668090
- Engineered mesenchymal stem cells regulate integrated stress response for fibrosis therapy. Med (New York, N.Y.) · 12 Aug 2026 PMID 42586072
- All-trans retinoic acid and lansoprazole potentiated NKG2D-CAR T for breast cancer treatment. International immunopharmacology · 20 May 2026 PMID 42161056
By study type
Observational studies and case reports (1)
- Simplified definition and imaging-based stratification of at-risk MASH using magnetic resonance elastography. Hepatology communications · 11 Aug 2026 PMID 42579768
Human data, design not indexed (1)
- Embedding metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease fibrosis risk stratification within pharmacist-integrated diabetes comanagement in primary care. Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy · 29 Sept 2026 PMID 42808546
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (3)
- Engineered mesenchymal stem cells regulate integrated stress response for fibrosis therapy. Med (New York, N.Y.) · 12 Aug 2026 PMID 42586072
- Digoxin inhibits HIF-1α to attenuate inflammation and fibrosis in thyroid eye disease. Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 24 Jul 2026 PMID 42497831
- All-trans retinoic acid and lansoprazole potentiated NKG2D-CAR T for breast cancer treatment. International immunopharmacology · 20 May 2026 PMID 42161056
Unclassified: not yet indexed with MeSH (4)
- Targeting lipidated amino acid deficiency mitigates fibrosis via a PPARα/CCL2 axis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis models. The Journal of clinical investigation · 24 Sept 2026 PMID 42784330
- AOAH-mediated LPS inactivation limits macrophage endotoxin tolerance and promotes inflammation and fibrosis in MASH. Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology · 29 Aug 2026 PMID 42668090
- Efficacy of Luseogliflozin Added to Semaglutide in Patients With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomised, Open-Label Trial. Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 17 Aug 2026 PMID 42605535
- A combi-elasto ultrasound based deep learning model on liver fibrosis staging for suspected MASLD/MASH patients. BMC medical imaging · 18 Jul 2026 PMID 42471585
Written from 9 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-10-02. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.