Chronic tissue fibrosis involves fibroblast activation and inflammation that leads to deposition of type I collagen and eventual organ failure. There is a strong experimental and clinical correlation between tissue fibrosis and incidence of cancer. But it remains unclear whether it is the chronic inflammation or activated myofibroblasts that contribute to the emergence of cancer. This lecture will highlight the molecular pathways associated with emergence, activation and proliferation of fibroblasts in organ fibrosis and strategies for reversing fibrosis. Additionally, the molecular connection between organ fibrosis and
the emergence of cancer will be discussed.