Abstract

Fibrosis is a dynamic process of abnormal connective tissue formation as a result of excessive wound healing and extracellular matrix deposition. It can occur in almost all tissues and it is a major contributor to clinical diseases, leading to organ failure and accounting for approximately one third of deaths worldwide [1,2]. It is proposed that fibrotic response may be distinguished in four major phases: 1) the initiation after tissue injury; 2) the activation of effector cells; 3) the deposition of extracellular matrix and 4) the progression to fibrosis with subsequent organ failure by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix without sufficient degradation [2].