The remarkably high prevalence of ballooned cells (Fig. 7A-iii), another cardinal feature of NAFLD/NASH32, and central venous-congestion (Fig. 7A-ii,iii), along with the significant rise of serum ALT-levels in these 12-month-old CHIP−/−-livers (Fig. 7C), suggested that the protective mechanisms operating at earlier ages were now becoming defunct. The gene discussed is STUB1; the disease is metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.