Towards genetic prediction of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease trajectories: PNPLA3 and beyond

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is on the verge of becoming the leading cause of liver disease. NAFLD develops at the interface between environmental factors and inherited predisposition. Genome-wide association studies, followed by exome-wide analyses, led to identification of genetic risk variants (e.g. PNPLA3, TM6SF2, SERPINA1) and key pathways involved in fatty liver disease pathobiology. Functional studies improved our understanding of these genetic factors and the molecular mechanisms underlying the trajectories from fat accumulation to fibrosis, cirrhosis and cancer over time.

Source: Gastroenterology - February 13, 2020 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Marcin Krawczyk, Roman Liebe, Frank Lammert Source Type: research