MAPK8 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: However, when this mechanism fails to resolve NAFLD, the long-term activation of TNF-α shifts to be disadvantageous for NAFLD, by preserving intra-hepatic inflammation in the long-term; this state is associated with hepatocarcinogenesis via the activation of other signaling pathways, e.g., DISC II and JNK (Figure 1).