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Long considered to be permanent, the extensive scarring found in livers with cirrhosis is now thought to be reversible. As understanding of scar formation grows, scientists are inching closer to treatments that will help to stop scarring and heal existing liver damage.
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Many long-term diseases of the liver lead to scarring, or fibrosis, that restricts the organ’s functions. Evidence that fibrosis can regress has spurred the search for therapies that suppress scar-tissue formation to restore liver health.