Comprehensive Insights into Liver Diseases: Pathophysiology, Experimental Models, Diagnostic Approaches, and Emerging Therapeutic Strategies

Liver diseases constitute a major global health burden, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality worldwide.The liver plays a pivotal role in metabolic homeostasis, detoxification, and immune regulation; consequently, disruption of hepatic function leads to diverse pathological outcomes ranging from steatosis and fibrosis to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.This review provides a comprehensive overview of liver diseases, focusing on hepatic structure and function, etiology, epidemiology, and the complex pathophysiological mechanisms underlying disease progression, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, immune activation, and metabolic dysregulation.The article further summarizes commonly employed in vivo and in vitro experimental models used to study hepatotoxicity and liver injury.Current diagnostic modalities, including conventional biochemical markers, imaging techniques, elastography, and emerging molecular and genetic diagnostics, are critically discussed.In addition, existing therapeutic strategies such as lifestyle interventions, pharmacological treatments, surgical approaches, cellular therapies, and preventive measures are reviewed.Emphasis is also placed on novel and emerging therapies, including gene therapy, artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostics, pathogen-targeted interventions, and advanced pharmacological approaches.Collectively, this review highlights recent advances and future directions in liver disease research, offering valuable insights for researchers and clinicians involved in hepatology and translational medicine.