Spatially resolved multi-omics of human metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. We generated single-cell and spatial transcriptomic and metabolomic maps from 61 human livers, including controls (n = 10), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver (MASL) (n = 17) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) (n = 34). We identified microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) as a key regulator of the lipid-handling capacity of lipid-associated macrophages (LAMs), and further revealed a hepato-protective role of LAMs mediated through hepatocyte growth factor secretion. Unbiased deconvolution of spatial transcriptomics delineated a fibrosis-associated gene program enriched in advanced MASH, suggesting profibrotic crosstalk between central vein endothelial and hepatic stellate cells within fibrotic regions. Mass spectrometry imaging-based spatial metabolomics demonstrated MASLD-specific accumulation of phospholipids, potentially linked to lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A₂-mediated phospholipid metabolism in LAMs. This spatially resolved multi-omics atlas of human MASLD, which can be queried at the Human Masld Spatial Multiomics Atlas , provides a valuable resource for mechanistic and therapeutic studies.