The role of IFN in the development of NAFLD and NASH

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its progressive inflammatory form non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are major health challenges due to a significant increase in their incidence and prevalence. While NAFLD is largely benign, the chronic liver inflammation in NASH patients may cause progression to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is an urgent need for a better understanding of the factors, which drive the progression from NAFLD to NASH and how to use this information both to improve diagnostic and to develop new treatment strategies. Increasing evidence points to interferons (IFNs) as key players in NAFLD and particular in the progression to NASH. IFNs crucial role in disease development is supported by both genetic evidence and animal studies. In this review, we describe the involvement of both type I and type III IFNs in the development and progression of NAFLD and NASH.