Note that gene expression of Wnt signaling-associated intestinal stem cell markers (OLFM4, LGR5, AXIN2, SOX9, and CD44) did not significantly differ between MDEOs vs CDEOs (Figure 2D) and cell proliferation, evaluated by the percentage of KI67 positive (+ve) cells, was similar in both kinds of organoids (Figure 2E), indicating that stemness was preserved in the duodenal epithelium of MASH patients. Here, CD44 is linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.