Modulating Renal Fibrosis: The Emerging Role of Hepatocyte Growth Factor

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional protein that is associated with cellular growth and expansion. HGF has been known to be heavily expressed in renal tissue and for its role in wound healing and tissue proliferation. This review article aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of HGF in renal fibrosis in addition to its relationship with interconnected inflammatory diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

Several online databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar were used up to 2025 to identify and compare studies that looked at the relationship between renal fibrosis and HGF in preclinical and clinical settings.

HGF was shown to reduce the progression of renal fibrosis through mechanisms such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) antagonism, enhancement of endothelial repair, and promotion of extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. The results indicate that HGF shows promising results on slowing the progression of renal fibrosis. However, the lack of studies using human models to research the antifibrotic effects of HGF as well as the associated risk of HGF in developing diabetes, insulin resistance, and hypertension calls for further investigations about future applications of HGF to treat renal fibrosis.