MEETING CHANGE TO VIRTUAL: Fatty Liver Disease and Multi-System Complications joint with MEETING CHANGE TO VIRTUAL: Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances Scientific Organizers: Jay D. Horton, Morris J. Birnbaum and Hannele Yki-Järvinen Date: March 21 - 24, 2021 Location: Virtual at your computer For important information on the coronavirus, please click hereFor information on the virtual eSymposia program Click here Although the frequency of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has risen worldwide in parallel with the obesity epidemic, there are still no approved therapies. The more advanced form of the disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is associated with progressive fibrosis and an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the last decade, genetic studies have identified new proteins that participate not only in the development of hepatic steatosis, but also disease progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and HCC. Meanwhile, research is starting to emerge describing underlying molecular pathways that mediate alterations in lipid and glucose metabolism, which leads to fat accumulation in liver. Therefore, the goals of this conference are to: 1) Explore the genetic contributions to NAFLD, and how these insights might reveal the sequence of events that cause NASH and cirrhosis; 2) Present data underlying the proposal that the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) be renamed metabolic (dysfunction) associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD); 3) Clarify the key molecular events in NAFLD and NASH, focusing on pathways that might provide therapeutic opportunities; and 4) Highlight emerging therapies for NASH. This conference comes at an opportunistic time, when several clinical trials are scheduled to conclude, providing critical data to enable scientists to refine research strategies for the future. |