Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis — Opportunities and Challenges

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the progressive form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, has superseded hepatitis C as the main cause of cirrhosis and the main reason for liver transplantation.1 Contrary to hepatitis C, a liver-specific disorder caused by a single etiologic agent, NASH is a multifactorial, complex metabolic disorder that forms part of a systemic disease. Therefore, finding therapies (other than weight loss), identifying the target population, and defining response to therapy represent important challenges in NASH. The diagnosis of NASH is established through a liver-biopsy sample that shows steatosis, lobular inflammation, and hepatocellular ballooning. NASH is classified into 5 stages . . .