With respect to CCN2 fibrotic activity in NASH, future studies will need to address the precise CCN2 molecular configuration (monomer vs. dimer), the role played by individual modules in the CCN2 protein, the role of CCN2 proteolytic processing to generate low-mass bioactive isoforms and identification of CCN2 cell surface receptors and signaling pathways. Here, CD177 is linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.