Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), formerly known as Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), is recently proposed nomenclature with a new set of diagnostic criteria. With an estimated 2 billion people being affected around the world, MAFLD signifies a growing global health burden, and such health challenge is expected to grow in the coming decade and especially among demographics with higher rate of obesity. Currently, MAFLD is recognized to increase the risk for higher severity in patients with the COVID-19.

For this special issue, we invite front-line hepatologists and liver researchers to submit high-quality scientific manuscripts regarding MAFLD. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Diagnostics and biomarkers  
• Epidemiology and natural history, prevention, outcomes  
• Therapeutics  
• Pediatric MAFLD  
• MAFLD-related acute on chronic liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma, COVID-19  
• MAFLD and extrahepatic disease (e.g., celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular diseases)  
• MAFLD vs. NAFLD