Foreword

The liver has many essential functions related to digestion, metabolism, immunity and the storage of nutrients within the body. Liver diseases contribute markedly to the global burden of mortality and disease. There is therefore a concerted effort around the world to develop various therapies for the treatment of severe liver disease. This current publication, entitled “Current Research Trends in the Exploration of Therapeutic Targets for Liver Disease,” provides readers with recent findings on novel challenges to developing effective therapies for liver injury and disease. The six review articles have been written by leading scientists who are experts in their respective fields. Nepal and Park summarize the roles of adipokines, mainly adiponectin and leptin, in the apoptosis and survival of liver cells, and describe the interaction between adiponectin and leptin signaling. They also introduce their own recent findings about the survival mechanisms of hepatic cancer cells by autophagy activation. Kim, Yang et al. review the role of Sestrin2, an antioxidant protein, in the pathophysiology of liver disease, and the potential clinical application of Sestrin2 as a therapeutic target to prevent liver disease. They suggest that Sestrin2 may be helpful in identifying molecular targets for the prevention of liver disease. Jung demonstrates the importance of homeostasis in the metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids such as S-adenosylmethionine and glutathione in liver injury and regeneration. He also introduces the possibility of a transsulfuration pathway as a promising therapeutic target in treating liver injury or disease. Kim, Kim et al. summarize the role of peptidyl–prolyl cis/trans isomerase never in mitosis A (NIMA)-interacting 1 (PIN1), a fate determination factor, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and also propose the possibility of PIN1 as a molecular target for therapeutic intervention in the pathogenesis of HCC. Kim, Park et al. introduce the current knowledge about the differential roles of angiogenesis in fibrogenesis and the resolution of fibrosis in liver injury. They propose that elucidating the interaction between fibrogenesis and angiogenesis may provide novel clues to the development of therapeutic strategies against the progression of liver disease. Choi et al. review the roles of molecular targets involved in initiating and maintaining dysregulated cell proliferation in liver cancer biology, and introduce ongoing clinical trials using targeted inhibitors that target various growth factors. They also suggest possibilities for the development of novel therapeutic options for HCC patients.

I hope that you, the reader, will better understand liver disease progression by various factors after this volume, as well as advances in the development of molecular and pharmacological strategies for the prevention and treatment of various liver diseases.