| Liver fibrosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide due to chronic liver
damage and leading to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. To date, there is no effective
and specific therapy for patients with hepatic fibrosis. As a result of their various
advantages such as biocompatibility, imaging contrast ability, improved tissue
penetration, and superparamagnetic properties, magnetic nanoparticles have a great
potential for diagnosis and therapy in various liver diseases including fibrosis. In this review,
we focus on the molecular mechanisms and important factors for hepatic fibrosis and on
potential magnetic nanoparticles-based therapeutics. New strategies for the diagnosis of
liver fibrosis are also discussed, with a summary of the challenges and perspectives in the
translational application of magnetic nanoparticles from bench to bedside |