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  • Year in Review
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NAFLD in 2014

Genetics, diagnostics and therapeutic advances in NAFLD

In 2014, NAFLD was confirmed as the fastest growing aetiology for hepatocellular cancer in the USA. However, 2014 also saw progress in our understanding of the heritability and pathogenesis of NAFLD, and an important clinical trial targeting the farnesoid X receptor pathway has illustrated advances in developing a pharmacological therapy.

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Figure 1: Potential effects of obeticholic acid on NASH.

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Acknowledgements

This work of the authors is supported in part by a grant from the NIH T32 DK 07150 and RO1 DK 81410 to A.J.S.

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Correspondence to Arun J. Sanyal.

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M.E.R. has served as a consultant to AbbVie, Fibrogen, Genentech, NGM Biopharmaceuticals and Takeda, W.L. Gore and Associates. A.J.S. has stock options in Genfit. He has served as a consultant to AbbVie, Astra Zeneca, Exhalenz, Fibrogen, Genfit, Immuron, Nimbus, Nitto Denko, Salix, Takeda and Tobira. He has been an unpaid consultant to Intercept and Echosens. His institution has received grant support from Gilead, Novartis, Salix, and Tobira.

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Rinella, M., Sanyal, A. Genetics, diagnostics and therapeutic advances in NAFLD. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 12, 65–66 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2014.232

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