From November 15 to 19, 2024, the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD 2024) was held in San Diego, USA. Hepatology Digest invited Dr. Lungen Lu from the Department of Gastroenterology at Shanghai General Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, to share his insights on key research presented at the conference and his overall experience.Hepatology Digest: What studies did you find most noteworthy at this year’s conference? Could you briefly introduce these studies and their clinical significance?
Dr. Lungen Lu: It’s an honor to participate in this prestigious event. Based on the agenda and topics covered, there was a strong focus on both basic and clinical research into metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), particularly concerning its diagnosis and treatment. MASLD received a great deal of attention, with numerous presentations dedicated to it.
During the conference, I had the pleasure of meeting Professor Rohit Loomba, the Director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He is a prominent scholar actively involved in both clinical and research endeavors in this field. Professor Loomba has played a key role in many international multicenter studies and is the corresponding author of several significant publications on MASLD, including articles in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
At this conference, Professor Loomba’s team reported two significant research findings.
- Application of Artificial Intelligence in MASLD Histopathological Diagnosis: This comparative study demonstrated the advantages of using artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosing MASLD. While liver biopsy remains the “gold standard” for diagnosing MASLD, AI offers distinct benefits, such as eliminating human error, improving efficiency, and achieving standardized and unified assessments. By accurately evaluating histological changes in the liver, AI provides a more comprehensive and authoritative method for assessing the efficacy of new drugs for fatty liver disease.
- New Drug for MASLD Treatment: Another presentation from Professor Loomba’s team focused on a new drug designed to treat MASLD by inhibiting the activity of fatty acid synthase, thereby reducing or preventing lipid deposition in hepatocytes. The preliminary results appear promising, and further clinical studies are expected to assess its efficacy and safety. This development holds potential for providing innovative therapeutic options for MASLD in the future.
However, I believe that the treatment of MASLD involves multiple targets and pathways, and relying on a single drug may have limited efficacy. Moving forward, I anticipate that the future direction will involve combination therapies targeting multiple pathways to provide safer and more effective treatments for MASLD.
Hepatology Digest: We noticed you met with Dr. Rohit Loomba during the conference. What did you discuss, and what are your thoughts?
Dr. Lungen Lu: In addition to attending academic sessions to learn about the latest advances, I had other objectives during my visit to San Diego. One of my key tasks involved research on a new drug for chronic hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis, which we are currently conducting in China. If the results prove promising, we plan to expand the research into the clinical treatment of MASLD.
Therefore, I had an in-depth discussion with Professor Loomba during the conference. We explored the possibility of collaborating on international multicenter clinical studies for MASLD in the future. Such studies could provide new therapeutic options and broaden the scope of treatment for MASLD.
This insightful interview highlights the latest advancements in MASLD research and underscores the importance of international collaboration in tackling this prevalent liver disease.
