Energy metabolism: An emerging therapeutic frontier in liver fibrosis

Liver fibrosis is a progressive response to chronic liver diseases characterized by a wound-healing process that leads to the accumulation of fibrillary extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in and around the liver tissue. If left untreated, liver fibrosis can advance to cirrhosis and ultimately resul...

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Main Authors: Iram Irshad, Saleh A Alqahtani, Kenichi Ikejima, Ming-Lung Yu, Manuel Romero-Gomez, Mohammed Eslam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Annals of Hepatology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268125001206
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author Iram Irshad
Saleh A Alqahtani
Kenichi Ikejima
Ming-Lung Yu
Manuel Romero-Gomez
Mohammed Eslam
author_facet Iram Irshad
Saleh A Alqahtani
Kenichi Ikejima
Ming-Lung Yu
Manuel Romero-Gomez
Mohammed Eslam
author_sort Iram Irshad
collection DOAJ
description Liver fibrosis is a progressive response to chronic liver diseases characterized by a wound-healing process that leads to the accumulation of fibrillary extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in and around the liver tissue. If left untreated, liver fibrosis can advance to cirrhosis and ultimately result in liver failure. Although there have been significant advancements in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in liver fibrosis, effective therapeutic strategies to reverse or halt the condition remain limited. Recent research has underscored the critical role of energy metabolism in the initiation and progression of liver fibrosis. In response to liver injury, hepatic cells undergo metabolic reprogramming to meet the energy demands of myofibroblasts. This reprogramming involves various metabolic changes, including mitochondrial dysfunction, alterations in cellular bioenergetics, shifts in glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, as well as changes in lipid metabolism. These modifications can disrupt cellular energy homeostasis and increase energy release, activating hepatic cells, primarily hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Activated HSCs then stimulate fibrogenic pathways, leading to the accumulation of ECM proteins in the liver, which exacerbates the progression of fibrosis.This review aims to explore the emerging connection between energy metabolism and liver fibrosis, focusing on the metabolic alterations and molecular mechanisms that drive this condition. We also examine the therapeutic implications of modulating energy metabolism to reduce energy release and mitigate liver fibrosis. Altering energy metabolism to decrease energy release may represent a promising approach for treating liver fibrosis and chronic liver diseases.
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issn 1665-2681
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spelling doaj-art-4f4d41d988b54f269afeb8e7803d95542025-08-20T03:18:23ZengElsevierAnnals of Hepatology1665-26812025-01-0130110189610.1016/j.aohep.2025.101896Energy metabolism: An emerging therapeutic frontier in liver fibrosisIram Irshad0Saleh A Alqahtani1Kenichi Ikejima2Ming-Lung Yu3Manuel Romero-Gomez4Mohammed Eslam5Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead Hospital and University of Sydney, NSW, AustraliaLiver, Digestive, & Lifestyle Health Research Section, and Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USADepartment of Gastroenterology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, JapanSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine and Center of Excellence for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital; College of Medicine and Center for Liquid Biopsy and Cohort Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanDigestive Diseases Department and Ciberehd, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (HUVR/CSIC/US), University of Seville, Seville, SpainStorr Liver Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead Hospital and University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; Corresponding author.Liver fibrosis is a progressive response to chronic liver diseases characterized by a wound-healing process that leads to the accumulation of fibrillary extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in and around the liver tissue. If left untreated, liver fibrosis can advance to cirrhosis and ultimately result in liver failure. Although there have been significant advancements in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in liver fibrosis, effective therapeutic strategies to reverse or halt the condition remain limited. Recent research has underscored the critical role of energy metabolism in the initiation and progression of liver fibrosis. In response to liver injury, hepatic cells undergo metabolic reprogramming to meet the energy demands of myofibroblasts. This reprogramming involves various metabolic changes, including mitochondrial dysfunction, alterations in cellular bioenergetics, shifts in glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, as well as changes in lipid metabolism. These modifications can disrupt cellular energy homeostasis and increase energy release, activating hepatic cells, primarily hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Activated HSCs then stimulate fibrogenic pathways, leading to the accumulation of ECM proteins in the liver, which exacerbates the progression of fibrosis.This review aims to explore the emerging connection between energy metabolism and liver fibrosis, focusing on the metabolic alterations and molecular mechanisms that drive this condition. We also examine the therapeutic implications of modulating energy metabolism to reduce energy release and mitigate liver fibrosis. Altering energy metabolism to decrease energy release may represent a promising approach for treating liver fibrosis and chronic liver diseases.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268125001206Liver fibrosisEnergy metabolismMetabolic reprogrammingHSCsROSAutophagy
spellingShingle Iram Irshad
Saleh A Alqahtani
Kenichi Ikejima
Ming-Lung Yu
Manuel Romero-Gomez
Mohammed Eslam
Energy metabolism: An emerging therapeutic frontier in liver fibrosis
Annals of Hepatology
Liver fibrosis
Energy metabolism
Metabolic reprogramming
HSCs
ROS
Autophagy
title Energy metabolism: An emerging therapeutic frontier in liver fibrosis
title_full Energy metabolism: An emerging therapeutic frontier in liver fibrosis
title_fullStr Energy metabolism: An emerging therapeutic frontier in liver fibrosis
title_full_unstemmed Energy metabolism: An emerging therapeutic frontier in liver fibrosis
title_short Energy metabolism: An emerging therapeutic frontier in liver fibrosis
title_sort energy metabolism an emerging therapeutic frontier in liver fibrosis
topic Liver fibrosis
Energy metabolism
Metabolic reprogramming
HSCs
ROS
Autophagy
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268125001206
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AT salehaalqahtani energymetabolismanemergingtherapeuticfrontierinliverfibrosis
AT kenichiikejima energymetabolismanemergingtherapeuticfrontierinliverfibrosis
AT minglungyu energymetabolismanemergingtherapeuticfrontierinliverfibrosis
AT manuelromerogomez energymetabolismanemergingtherapeuticfrontierinliverfibrosis
AT mohammedeslam energymetabolismanemergingtherapeuticfrontierinliverfibrosis