Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a leading cause of advanced liver diseases worldwide and an increasing clinical and economic burden. NAFLD has bidirectional association with components of the metabolic syndrome, and it encompasses a spectrum of diseases characterized by hepatic steatosis, some of which may progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and develop severe end-stage liver conditions such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma. Its complex pathophysiology and heterogeneity of disease phenotypes result in a lack of effective strategies for NAFLD treatment.
There are currently no approved pharmacological options for NAFLD, although several drugs are in advanced stages of development. However, failure to achieve a significant therapeutic response in previous clinical trials indicates that NAFLD patients are heterogeneous with respect to treatment response, increasing the challenges that must be overcome to control this epidemic. Given the rapidly growing global burden of NAFLD and NASH, efforts must continue to develop effective treatments for patients with advanced NASH and prevention methods for individuals at high risk of NAFLD and progressive liver disease.
This Research Topic will include studies addressing novel therapeutic targets and approaches for NAFLD resolution and prevention, and will welcome original preclinical and clinical research, review articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis. Potential topics include but are not limited to:
? Pathogenic mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of the disease: sequence of events, risk factors, protective pathways.
? Current and novel therapeutic interventions to control and reduce NAFLD progression: lifestyle modification, pharmacological targets, surgical approaches, drug discovery and repurposing.
? Benefits of combination therapies.
? Heterogeneity in the response to NAFLD treatments: gender, age, genetic differences.
? Challenges to overcome in the development of effective therapies for NAFLD.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a leading cause of advanced liver diseases worldwide and an increasing clinical and economic burden. NAFLD has bidirectional association with components of the metabolic syndrome, and it encompasses a spectrum of diseases characterized by hepatic steatosis, some of which may progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and develop severe end-stage liver conditions such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma. Its complex pathophysiology and heterogeneity of disease phenotypes result in a lack of effective strategies for NAFLD treatment.
There are currently no approved pharmacological options for NAFLD, although several drugs are in advanced stages of development. However, failure to achieve a significant therapeutic response in previous clinical trials indicates that NAFLD patients are heterogeneous with respect to treatment response, increasing the challenges that must be overcome to control this epidemic. Given the rapidly growing global burden of NAFLD and NASH, efforts must continue to develop effective treatments for patients with advanced NASH and prevention methods for individuals at high risk of NAFLD and progressive liver disease.
This Research Topic will include studies addressing novel therapeutic targets and approaches for NAFLD resolution and prevention, and will welcome original preclinical and clinical research, review articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis. Potential topics include but are not limited to:
? Pathogenic mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of the disease: sequence of events, risk factors, protective pathways.
? Current and novel therapeutic interventions to control and reduce NAFLD progression: lifestyle modification, pharmacological targets, surgical approaches, drug discovery and repurposing.
? Benefits of combination therapies.
? Heterogeneity in the response to NAFLD treatments: gender, age, genetic differences.
? Challenges to overcome in the development of effective therapies for NAFLD.
