• Fibrosis is a dysregulated tissue repair process characterized by fibroblast proliferation and excessive extracellular matrix deposition, affecting multiple organs.
• Key abnormal cells include fibroblasts, immune cells, epithelial cells, and endothelial cells; fibroblasts are central to fibrosis progression.
• Major signaling pathways (TGF-β, Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB, Hippo/YAP) and epigenetic modifications regulate fibrosis.
• Anti-fibrotic strategies include pharmacological, cell-based, and gene therapies targeting these pathways and extracellular matrix remodeling.