EP 127: Insights into precision medicine, fatty liver disease, and minimally invasive diagnostic tools with Dr. Mazen Noureddin

In this episode, Patrick is joined by Dr. Mazen Noureddin, Professor of Medicine and Transplant Hepatologist at Houston Methodist Hospital. Mazen also leads the Houston Research Institute and Houston Liver Institute, and he previously established the Fatty Liver Program at Cedars-Sinai. Known internationally for his expertise in non-invasive testing and biomarkers for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH, previously known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH) and cirrhosis, Mazen has been involved in over 40 clinical studies exploring new treatments for MASH. Don’t miss out on this insightful episode!

0:00 Intro

0:25 Mazen’s lifelong commitment to furthering the field of precision medicine in liver disease research, fueled by a personal connection of his grandmother developing MASH cirrhosis

2:30 Breakthroughs in the field of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) since the beginning of Mazen’s career

5:30 The potential impact of Resmetirom, a new drug that could treat MASLD and MASH cirrhosis

8:45 Significant takeaways from 40+ investigational clinical studies of novel treatments for MASLD/MASH

12:00 Alternatives to biopsies and potential tools for early, non-invasive diagnosis

19:00 Genetic determinants and risk factors for fatty liver disease

20:30 How Mazen uses genetic testing in the clinic for his patients

25:50 The impact of “miracle” weight loss drugs such as GLP-1s on patients with liver disease

29:30 The importance of early intervention to prevent late-stage cirrhosis

33:00 How to tailor treatment to consider environmental and epigenetic factors that impact genetic penetrance for liver disease

36:00 Potential links between metabolism and neurodegenerative conditions

39:00 Upcoming developments in MASLD and MASH research

41:00 Mazen’s relationship with his father, both as a dad and as a teacher