Mycobiome dysbiosis and genetic predisposition to elevated IL-17A contribute to fibrosis in MASLD
Liver inflammation and fibrosis are key drivers of the transition from bland steatosis to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Our findings identify a combinatorial mechanism in which genetic predisposition to enhanced IL-17A signaling, together with gut mycobiome dysbiosis, promotes MASH development and fibrosis progression. This work highlights the importance of host-mycobiome interactions in shaping inflammatory liver disease and supports further investigation into targeted strategies aimed at modulating IL-17A-mediated immune responses in patients with MASLD. Such approaches may offer novel opportunities for risk stratification and therapeutic intervention.
Authors
- Gianni Panagiotou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9393-124X)
- Heike M. Hermanns (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6617-1668)
- Michaela Herz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4696-1563)
- Natalie E. Nieuwenhuizen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5749-2462)
- Monika Rau
- Sara Leal Siliceo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9076-3962)
- Oliver Kurzai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7277-2646)
- Andreas Geier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9626-5083)
- Nadja Thielemann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3540-1547)
- Mohammad H. Mirhakkak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8257-7078)
- Alexander Maximilian Aldejohann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7246-5518)
- Thomas Dandekar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1886-7625)
- Nathalie Reus
- Isabell S. Behr
- Kerstin Hünniger-Ast
- Annika Schöninger
- Jürgen Löffler
- Ronny Martin
- Aia Shehata
Institutions
- University of Würzburg (DE)
- Universitätsklinikum Würzburg (DE)
- Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie e. V. - Hans-Knöll-Institut (HKI) (DE)
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena (DE)
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
Publication Details
- Journal
- JHEP Reports
- Published
- 2025-12-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhepr.2025.101721
- Primary Topic
- Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00