Fibrosis is characterized by the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix components such as collagen, elastin, and fibronectin. Often it represents the final, common pathological outcome of chronic injury or chronic inflammatory diseases. This abnormal form of tissue repair often leads to permanent scar formation, organ dysfunction, and in severe cases, death, especially in end-stage liver and kidney diseases, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, fibrosis places a considerable economic burden on healthcare systems globally. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop effective strategies and pharmacological interventions for the prevention and treatment of fibrotic diseases.

The aetiology and pathogenesis of fibrosis remain largely elusive, and current prevention and treatment strategies are limited. Understanding the initiators and mechanisms of fibrosis could pave the way for identifying novel methods, therapeutic targets, and pharmacological agents to combat this condition. Over the past few decades, some specific medicinal plant preparations and their metabolites (‘natural products’) have demonstrated significant anti-fibrotic properties across various forms of fibrotic diseases. This Research Topic aims to delve into the molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of fibrosis and to explore new therapeutic targets, drugs, and bioactive molecules derived from natural sources (in general plants and fungi) for the prevention and treatment of fibrotic diseases. We welcome submissions of Original Research, Reviews, and Case Reports on the following subtopics:

This Research Topic seeks to address the following themes and areas of investigation:

• Mechanisms of Organ Fibrosis: This includes studies on the microenvironments and cellular interactions that contribute to the initiation and progression of fibrosis.

• Natural Products for Drug Development: Assessing natural medicinal plant preparations and their metabolites to develop novel therapeutic methods, identify new therapeutic targets, and create potential anti-fibrotic drugs.

• Anti-fibrotic Effects of medicinal plant preparations and their metabolites: Investigating the mechanisms through which natural products or TM exert anti-fibrotic effects.

•Exploring potential synergistic mechanisms of medicinal plant preparations and their metabolites in combating organ fibrosis as well as potential antagonistic effects of combination.

Submissions are encouraged to include experimental research, clinical studies, and reviews, that provide novel insights into the aforementioned areas.

Please note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must follow the guidelines listed in this section:
• Please self-assess your MS using the ConPhyMP tool, and follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205.’ WITH ‘Please self-assess your MS using the ConPhyMP tool, and follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205.
• All the manuscripts need to fully comply with the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (you can freely download the full version here). Importantly, please ascertain that the ethnopharmacological context is clearly described (pillar 3d) and that the material investigated is characterized in detail (pillars 2 a and b).
Importantly note some specific points based on the above:
• The introduction must include a description of the topic’s background within an ethnopharmacological context and provide bibliographical references that illustrate the preparation’s application in traditional medicine or general healthcare.
• Chemical anti-oxidant assays like the DPPH or ABTS assay are of no pharmacological relevance, Therefore they can only be used as chemical-analytical assays without pharmacological claims.
• Small molecules exhibiting in silico or in vitro effects but without specific pharmacological targets do not fit with the scopes of this RT.

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