Liver fibrosis has evolved in the past 20 years from a pure laboratory discipline to an area of
great bedside relevance to practicing hepatologists. This evolution reflects growing awarenessnotonlyofthemolecularunderpinn…
, but also of its natural history and methods of detection in chronic liver disease. These
advances have culminated in clear evidence that cirrhosis can be reversible, and in realistic
expectations that effective antifibrotic therapy will significantly alter the management and
prognosis of patients with liver disease. In view of this remarkable progress, clinicians must …