FIGURE 1.

Overall significance. NASH develops following fat accumulation and subsequent hepatic inflammation and scarring. There are currently no approved pharmaceutical therapeutics for NASH patients, and global FXR agonists, currently undergoing clinical trials, demonstrate debilitating adverse effects like pruritus, abnormal cholesterol levels (elevated LDL and decreased HDL), fatigue, and abdominal discomfort. Because of visualized varied FXR functions, it is critical to understand how FXR activation affects NASH development in an organ-specific manner to identify proper therapeutic targets. Abbreviations: FDA, Food and Drug Administration; FXR, farnesoid X receptor.