EPCAM and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: This transcriptional reprogramming of hepatocytes in MASLD also resulted in accumulation of a subpopulation coexpressing hepatocyte and biliary epithelial (cholangiocyte) markers (e.g., KRT7, CFTR, EPCAM) that progressively expanded with MASLD severity and potentially derive from hepatocytes (43).