SMAD7 and Hepatic fibrosis: Glycyrrhizic acid, an active metabolite derived from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch (Gancao), can ameliorate liver fibrosis and inhibit hepatic stellate cell activation by enhancing the CUGBP1-mediated IFN-γ/STAT1/Smad7 pathways, indicating its potential as a preventive agent for liver fibrosis (Guo et al., 2023).