Deletion of either amphiregulin (AREG) or HB-EGF in mice leads to attenuation of liver fibrosis, suggesting that these growth factors may elicit different signaling cascades and downstream events to promote HSC maturation and fibrogenesis so that the loss of one EGF ligand cannot be fully compensated by other family members. This evidence concerns the gene HBEGF and Hepatic fibrosis.