SteatoSITE

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease is the commonest cause of liver disease, affecting 1 in 4 adults. However, not everyone with a fatty liver goes on to have serious liver problems; only about 20% progress to the more severe form, called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can lead to liver cirrhosis (where healthy cells are replaced by scar tissue), liver cancer and premature death. Currently, we have no way of telling which people with MASLD might develop NASH or cirrhosis and there are no medicines ‘on the market’ to treat this condition. The crucial question is why does MASLD progress in some people but not in others? The answer to this will lead to new diagnostic tests, and effective treatments. To address this, we aim to build up a large group (n=1000) of MASLD cases from across Scotland, using NHS liver samples that are no longer needed and collecting relevant clinical information from electronic health records. This information will help us to understand about: 1) the sort of liver damage that can develop in MASLD; 2) which genes are present in the liver as MASLD gets more severe; and 3) how this relates to various health problems in people with MASLD. We will keep this information in a secure database and analyse it using bioinformatics (an approach that uses computer science to understand biological data) in order to improve the care of people with MASLD.