AUTHOR=Li Xiaoyi , Zhu Lixin , Wang Beibei , Yuan Meifei , Zhu Ruixin 

TITLE=Drugs and Targets in Fibrosis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2017.00855

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2017.00855

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>Fibrosis contributes to the development of many diseases and many target molecules are involved in fibrosis. Currently, the majority of fibrosis treatment strategies are limited to specific diseases or organs. However, accumulating evidence demonstrates great similarities among fibroproliferative diseases, and more and more drugs are proved to be effective anti-fibrotic therapies across different diseases and organs. Here we comprehensively review the current knowledge on the pathological mechanisms of fibrosis, and divide factors mediating fibrosis progression into extracellular and intracellular groups. Furthermore, we systematically summarize both single and multiple component drugs that target fibrosis. Future directions of fibrosis drug discovery are also proposed.</p>