The liver is a critical system for metabolism in human beings, which plays an essential role
in an abundance of physiological processes and is vulnerable to endogenous or exogenous …

Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a common pathological process caused by various acute and
chronic liver injury factors, which is mainly characterized by inflammation and excessive …

Liver fibrosis is a common outcome of most chronic liver insults/injuries that can develop into
an irreversible process of cirrhosis and, eventually, liver cancer. In recent years, there has …

Kidney fibrosis is a serious consequence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and currently,
there is no effective pharmacological treatment available. Cellular communication network-2 …

Background No agents are currently available for the treatment or reversal of liver fibrosis.
Novel antifibrotic therapies for chronic liver diseases are thus urgently needed. Connective …

CCN/WISP (cellular communication network factors, or Wnt-inducted secreted proteins)
family of proteins consists of six extracellular matrix (ECM)-associated proteins that regulate …

Earlier data on liver development demonstrated that morphogenesis of the bile duct, portal
mesenchyme and hepatic artery is interdependent, yet how this interdependency is …

The cellular (centralized) communication network (CCN) factor protein family contains six
small secreted cysteine-rich proteins sharing high structural similarity. These matricellular …

The liver has an inherent regenerative capacity via hepatocyte proliferation after mild-to-
modest damage. When hepatocytes exhaust their replicative ability during chronic or severe …

In drug discovery, selecting targeted molecules is crucial as the target could directly affect
drug efficacy and the treatment outcomes. As a member of the CCN family, CTGF (also …