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IL-13 and TGF-β1: Core Mediators of Fibrosis

  • Cytokines That Affect Liver Fibrosis and Activation of Hepatic Myofibroblasts (Tatiana Kisseleva, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Pathobiology Reports

Abstract

Normal wound repair is a complex and highly orchestrated process that allows the restoration of tissue homeostasis after injury. However, when the injury is sustained, the wound-healing response becomes dysregulated leading to fibrosis. Fibrosis can affect any organ, and it is estimated that 45 % of deaths in the western world are attributed to diseases where fibrosis plays a major pathogenic role. Fibrosis is an extremely complex process that requires numerous cell types and a range of cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis/necrosis, ingress/egress, to name but a few. These key cellular events are controlled by a plethora of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors including TGF-β1 and IL-13, which have been identified as critical pro-fibrotic mediators in many studies. This review will focus on the roles of TGF-β1 and IL-13 in liver fibrosis and discuss the current state of the art for therapeutic targets for these proteins and their receptors.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to express our sincere appreciation and thanks to all of our colleagues, both past and present, for their guidance and support. LAB is supported by a Newcastle University Research Fellowship. TAW is supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH/NIAID.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tissue Fibrosis and Repair Group, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK

    Lee A. Borthwick

  2. Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Thomas A. Wynn

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  1. Lee A. Borthwick
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Correspondence to Lee A. Borthwick.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Cytokines That Affect Liver Fibrosis and Activation of Hepatic Myofibroblasts.

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Borthwick, L.A., Wynn, T.A. IL-13 and TGF-β1: Core Mediators of Fibrosis. Curr Pathobiol Rep 3, 273–282 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40139-015-0091-1

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