Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42724131›Full record

ArticleJournal of clinical and translational hepatology2026

Comparative Efficacy of Promising Targets in the Treatment of Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Steatohepatitis: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

Wenjing Ni, Jie Li, Xue Bai, Sisi Zhou, Xiangyu Wu, Leyao Jia, Zhuoru Jiang, Jiali Wu, Ming Li, Connie Wong and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of clinical and translational hepatology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Wenjing NiDepartment of Infectious Disease, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Jie LiDepartment of Infectious Disease, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0973-8645
Xue BaiDepartment of Infectious Disease, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Sisi ZhouDepartment of Infectious Disease, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Xiangyu WuDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Leyao JiaDepartment of Infectious Disease, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Zhuoru JiangDepartment of Infectious Disease, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Jiali WuDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Ming LiThe First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
Connie WongLane Medical Library, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
Chao WuDepartment of Infectious Disease, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Junping ShiDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Mindie H NguyenDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6275-4989

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Aims: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted to evaluate treatment efficacy for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of 11 promising targets among adults with MASLD. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Embase were searched from inception to November 20, 2024. The primary outcomes were fibrosis improvement ≥1 stage without worsening of steatohepatitis and steatohepatitis resolution without worsening of fibrosis. Additional outcomes included reductions in liver fat content, liver enzymes, metabolic profiles, and selected safety outcomes. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was used to rank efficacy. Results: Of 11,584 articles screened, 44 eligible RCTs (11,410 participants, 33 medications) were included. For fibrosis improvement, d-(R)-pioglitazone (SUCRA: 79.3) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 21 analogs (SUCRA: 71.9) ranked higher. For steatohepatitis resolution, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) dual receptor agonists (RAs) (SUCRA: 91.7) ranked higher. Co-agonists of GLP-1/GIP/GCG and GLP-1/GCG receptors ranked higher for relative and absolute changes in liver fat content, respectively. For liver enzymes and glucose improvement, the combination of a GLP-1 RA and an acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase inhibitor ranked higher. GLP-1 RAs, peroxisome proliferator-activated RAs, and FGF21 analogs showed favorable effects on lipid profile improvement. Conclusions: Incretin-based co-agonists and FGF21 analogs showed favorable profiles across key endpoints, while d-(R)-pioglitazone and GLP-1/GIP dual RAs ranked higher for fibrosis improvement and steatohepatitis resolution, respectively. SUCRA rankings should be interpreted in conjunction with effect sizes, uncertainty, and available safety data.

Indexed as

Fibrosis improvementMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseaseMetabolic improvementNetwork meta-analysisNon-invasive testsRandomized controlled trialsSafety assessmentSteatohepatitis resolution

Identifiers

PMID42724131
PMCPMC13558243

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.