Recent advances in the treatment of chronic liver diseases: focus on MASLD/MASH-related fibrosis
- Department of Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Poland
- Chair and Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
- Department of Civilization Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, Warsaw, Poland
Chronic liver diseases (CLDs) represent a growing global health challenge, driven by the increasing prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), its progressive inflammatory-fibrotic form (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis – MASH), as well as viral infections, alcoholic liver disease, and autoimmune and cholestatic disorders. Despite intensive research, effective pharmacological therapies capable of halting or reversing fibrosis progression – particularly in MASH – remain lacking. In recent years, incretin-based therapies, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and a new generation of metabolic multi-agonists, have gained breakthrough significance. These agents demonstrate potent metabolic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-steatotic effects, as well as potential antifibrotic activity, making them promising candidates for the treatment of various CLD phenotypes, including MASLD/MASH-associated fibrosis. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the mechanisms of action of these drugs, clinical trial outcomes, and their potential application as novel, targeted therapies in CLDs.
Keywords
MASLD/MASH, CLD, liver fibrosis, liver steatosis, GLP-1 analogs, therapies
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