CASP2 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: These results corroborate our previous study of MCD diet-induced steatohepatitis, which also showed that inhibiting caspase-2 provided protection from fibrosis in that model of NASH.20 Fibrosis progression in NASH directly correlates with accumulation of reactive appearing bile ductules and inflammatory cells (the ductular reaction).31 Compared with WT mice fed Western diet, caspase-2-deficient mice were also protected from diet-induced ductular reaction (Figure 7b).