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Review
. 2023 Nov 15;45(11):9132-9148.
doi: 10.3390/cimb45110573.

Molecular Aspects of MAFLD-New Insights on Pathogenesis and Treatment

Branka Filipovic  1   2 , Marija Marjanovic-Haljilji  1 , Dragana Mijac  2   3 , Snezana Lukic  2   3 , Suncica Kapor  4 , Slobodan Kapor  2   5 , Ana Starcevic  2   5 , Dusan Popovic  1   2 , Aleksandra Djokovic  2   6
Affiliations
Review

Molecular Aspects of MAFLD-New Insights on Pathogenesis and Treatment

Branka Filipovic et al. Curr Issues Mol Biol. .

Abstract

Metabolic-associated liver disease (MAFLD) affects up to 70% of overweight and more than 90% of morbidly obese people, and its pathogenesis is rather complex and multifactorial. The criteria for MAFLD include the presence of hepatic steatosis in addition to one of the following three criteria: overweight or obesity, presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), or evidence of metabolic dysregulation. If the specific criteria are present, the diagnosis of MAFLD can be made regardless of alcohol consumption and previous liver disease. The pathophysiological mechanisms of MAFLD, including inflammation, lipotoxicity, mitochondrial disfunction, and oxidative stress, as well as the impact of intestinal gut microbiota, are constantly being elucidated. Treatment strategies that are continually emerging are based on different key points in MAFLD pathogenesis. Yet, the ideal therapeutic option has still not been found and future research is of great importance, as MAFLD represents a multisystemic disease with numerous complications.

Keywords: gut microbiota; inflammation; metabolic-associated fatty liver disease; treatment strategies.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagnostic criteria for MAFLD. T2DM—type 2 diabetes mellitus. The figure was created in the Canva program (https://www.canva.com/).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Pathophysiological mechanisms of MAFLD. Abbreviations: LPS—lipopolysaccharide; TMAO—trimethylamine–N-oxide; PAMP—pathogen-associated molecular pattern; ER—endoplasmic reticulum; ROS—reactive oxygen species; HSCs—hepatic stellate cells. The figure was created in Adobe Illustrator.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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