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From NAFLD to MASLD: implications of the new nomenclature for preclinical and clinical research

Nature Metabolism volume 6, pages 600–602 (2024)Cite this article

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Non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) is now metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), emphasizing the key metabolic factors of obesity, insulin resistance, vascular dysfunction and dyslipidaemia. Here, we discuss impacts on the existing body of clinical and preclinical liver disease research and on research moving forward.

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Fig. 1: Summary of new nomenclature for steatotic liver disease.

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Acknowledgements

C.L.H. receives funding support from NIAAA (K99AA031328), American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation (CTORA23-208366), and the Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis funded by NIH P50AA011999. R.L. receives funding support from NIEHS (5P42ES010337), NCATS (5UL1TR001442), NIDDK (U01DK130190, U01DK061734, R01DK106419, P30DK120515, R01DK121378, R01DK124318), NHLBI (P01HL147835).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Cynthia L. Hsu & Rohit Loomba

  2. Department of Medicine, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA

    Cynthia L. Hsu

  3. MASLD Research Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Rohit Loomba

  4. The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Rohit Loomba

Authors
  1. Cynthia L. Hsu
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Contributions

C.L.H. drafted the manuscript and R.L. carried out a critical revision of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rohit Loomba.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

C.L.H. declares no competing interests. R.L. serves as a consultant to Aardvark Therapeutics, Altimmune, Anylam/Regeneron, Amgen, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myer Squibb, CohBar, Eli Lilly, Galmed, Gilead, Glympse bio, Hightide, Inipharma, Intercept, Inventiva, Ionis, Janssen Inc., Madrigal, Metacrine, Inc., NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Merck, Pfizer, Sagimet, Theratechnologies, 89 bio, Terns Pharmaceuticals and Viking Therapeutics. In addition, his institutions received research grants from Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Astrazeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Galectin Therapeutics, Galmed Pharmaceuticals, Gilead, Intercept, Hanmi, Intercept, Inventiva, Ionis, Janssen, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Merck, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, Merck, Pfizer, Sonic Incytes and Terns Pharmaceuticals. Co-founder of LipoNexus Inc.

Peer review

Peer review information

Nature Metabolism thanks Herbert Tilg for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Table

CVD, cardiovascular dysfunction; HLD, hyperlipidaemia; HTN, hypertension; IR, insulin resistance.

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Hsu, C.L., Loomba, R. From NAFLD to MASLD: implications of the new nomenclature for preclinical and clinical research. Nat Metab 6, 600–602 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-00985-1

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