Alcoholic liver disease(ALD)and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)are serious health problems worldwide.These two diseases have similar pathological spectra,ranging from simple steatosis to hepatitis to cirrhosi...Alcoholic liver disease(ALD)and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)are serious health problems worldwide.These two diseases have similar pathological spectra,ranging from simple steatosis to hepatitis to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.Although most people with excessive alcohol or calorie intake display abnormal fat accumulation in the liver(simple steatosis),a small percentage develops progressive liver disease.Despite extensive research on understanding the pathophysiology of both these diseases there are still no targeted therapies available.The treatment for ALD remains as it was 50 years ago:abstinence,nutritional support and corticosteroids(or pentoxifylline as an alternative if steroids are contraindicated).As for NAFLD,the treatment modality is mainly directed toward weight loss and co-morbidity management.Therefore,new pathophysiology directed therapies are urgently needed.However,the involvement of several inter-related pathways in the pathogenesis of these diseases suggests that a single therapeutic agent is unlikely to be an effective treatment strategy.Hence,a combination therapy towards multiple targets would eventually be required.In this review,we delineate the treatment options in ALD and NAFLD,including various new targeted therapies that are currently under investigation.We hope that soon we will be having an effective multi-therapeutic regimen for each disease.展开更多
基金Supported by Merit Review grants BX001155 from the Department of Veterans Affairs,Office of Research and Development(Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development)to Kharbanda KK
文摘Alcoholic liver disease(ALD)and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)are serious health problems worldwide.These two diseases have similar pathological spectra,ranging from simple steatosis to hepatitis to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.Although most people with excessive alcohol or calorie intake display abnormal fat accumulation in the liver(simple steatosis),a small percentage develops progressive liver disease.Despite extensive research on understanding the pathophysiology of both these diseases there are still no targeted therapies available.The treatment for ALD remains as it was 50 years ago:abstinence,nutritional support and corticosteroids(or pentoxifylline as an alternative if steroids are contraindicated).As for NAFLD,the treatment modality is mainly directed toward weight loss and co-morbidity management.Therefore,new pathophysiology directed therapies are urgently needed.However,the involvement of several inter-related pathways in the pathogenesis of these diseases suggests that a single therapeutic agent is unlikely to be an effective treatment strategy.Hence,a combination therapy towards multiple targets would eventually be required.In this review,we delineate the treatment options in ALD and NAFLD,including various new targeted therapies that are currently under investigation.We hope that soon we will be having an effective multi-therapeutic regimen for each disease.
