Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: Pathogenesis, complications and pharmacological treatment
- 1Department of Internal Medicine, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, South Korea
- 2Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea
- 3Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing in prevalence worldwide. Pathogenesis of MASLD has been considerably heterogenous. Increased hepatic de novo lipogenesis, adipose tissue dysfunction, genetic predisposition, epigenetic mechanism, and other related factors have been associated with the development and progression of MASLD. Patients with MASLD are at high risk of not only adverse liver-related outcomes, including hepatocellular carcinoma, but also cardiometabolic disease including type 2 diabetes mellitus. Weight loss is the cornerstone of therapy among the various treatments for MASLD to decrease hepatic fat accumulation and delay the progression of inflammation and fibrosis. Resmetirom and semaglutide are approved for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis with moderate to advanced fibrosis, and many drugs are under investigation. Careful attention should be paid to the screening of MASLD, and concerted efforts should be made to manage it appropriately.
See also the graphical abstract(Fig. 1).
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BibTeX
@article{kim2026metabolic,
title = {{Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: Pathogenesis, complications and pharmacological treatment}},
author = {Kyung-Soo Kim and Soo Lim and Cheol-Young Park},
journal = {EXCLI Journal},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.17179/excli2026-9310},
url = {https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2026-9310},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: Pathogenesis, complications and pharmacological treatment
AU - Kyung-Soo Kim
AU - Soo Lim
AU - Cheol-Young Park
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/22
JO - EXCLI Journal
DO - 10.17179/excli2026-9310
UR - https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2026-9310
AB - Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing in prevalence worldwide. Pathogenesis of MASLD has been considerably heterogenous. Increased hepatic de novo lipogenesis, adipose tissue dysfunction, genetic predisposition, epigenetic mechanism, and other related factors have been associated with the development and progression of MASLD. Patients with MASLD are at high risk of not only adverse liver-related outcomes, including hepatocellular carcinoma, but also cardiometabolic disease including type 2 diabetes mellitus. Weight loss is the cornerstone of therapy among the various treatments for MASLD to decrease hepatic fat accumulation and delay the progression of inflammation and fibrosis. Resmetirom and semaglutide are approved for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis with moderate to advanced fibrosis, and many drugs are under investigation. Careful attention should be paid to the screening of MASLD, and concerted efforts should be made to manage it appropriately. See also the graphical abstract(Fig. 1).
SN - 1611-2156
ER -