Taken collectively, given that VCAM-1 is a key player in NASH pathogenesis19, that its liver expression in mice and human is upregulated with NASH (and maintained with fibrosis progression)19 and that the 99mTc-cAbVCAM1-5 employed in the present study is already in phase 1 clinical trial (NCT04483167) for atherosclerotic lesion imaging, the coherent follow-up of our results is to test 99mTc-cAbVCAM1-5 imaging to evaluate liver inflammation in patients with NAFLD, a currently unmet medical need. Here, VCAM1 is linked to fibrosis.