Immune Determinants of MASLD Progression: From Immunometabolic Reprogramming to Fibrotic Transformation

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) represents a progressive spectrum of metabolic liver injury in which immune activation, metabolic stress, and stromal remodeling evolve in a tightly interdependent manner. Although early disease stages are dominated by metabolic overload, accumulating evidence indicates that immunometabolic rewiring and fibro-inflammatory amplification critically shape the transition toward metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and advanced fibrosis. This review synthesizes emerging insights into how hepatocyte stress responses, innate and adaptive immune circuits, and extracellular matrix-producing stromal populations interact to form a dynamic, feed-forward network driving disease progression. Particular emphasis is placed on the deterministic role of immune-fibrotic coupling in shaping clinical phenotypes, disease trajectory, and therapeutic responsiveness. Rather than focusing on individual molecular layers, we highlight how integrated clinical, imaging, and biomarker-informed frameworks can capture immune-fibrotic signatures relevant to risk stratification and precision intervention. Building on this systems-level perspective, we outline next-generation therapeutic strategies targeting immunometabolic circuits, cross-organ communication, and multi-system dysfunction. Finally, we discuss how future precision medicine-supported by integrative biomarker profiling and dynamic physiological assessment-may reshape MASLD management and improve long-term hepatic and cardiometabolic outcomes.