MASLD & MASH Preclinical CRO Services

Advance drug development for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and steatohepatitis (MASH) with Cyagen’s induced disease models, target-humanized mouse models, and efficacy evaluation services.

Preclinical Models and Efficacy Evaluation for MASLD & MASH Research

Cyagen designs preclinical studies around your therapeutic target, mechanism of action, and disease stage. Our services integrate model selection and study design with biochemical, histopathological, and molecular analyses to assess hepatic steatosis, inflammation, liver injury, and fibrosis, generating evidence to support target validation and candidate selection.

Explore Inducible and Surgical Models

Cyagen offers diet-induced, genetically modified, and combination mouse models for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and steatohepatitis (MASH) research. Our model portfolio supports the evaluation of metabolic dysfunction, liver injury, inflammation, and fibrosis for preclinical drug efficacy studies.

HFD

Mouse model induced by a high-fat diet with 60% of calories from fat.

CDAA

Mouse model induced by a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined diet.

MCD

Mouse model induced by a methionine- and choline-deficient diet.

GAN

Mouse model induced by a GAN diet with 40% of calories from fat, 22% fructose, 10% sucrose, and 2% cholesterol.

HFD + CCl₄

Mouse model induced by a high-fat diet combined with carbon tetrachloride treatment.

Ldlr KO + HFC

LDL receptor-deficient mice (Ldlr−/−) fed a high-fat diet containing 0.15% cholesterol.

Lep KO (ob/ob)

Leptin-deficient mice with genetically driven obesity.

Lep KO (ob/ob) + GAN

Leptin-deficient mice fed a GAN diet.

Induction Timelines and Phenotypic Features

Model Feature	HFD	CDAA	MCD	GAN	HFD + CCl₄	Ldlr KO + HFC	Lep KO (ob/ob)	Lep KO (ob/ob) + GAN
Time	>36 weeks	20–22 weeks	8–10 weeks	26–32 weeks	12 weeks	12 weeks	12–20 weeks	12 weeks
Obesity	√	√	×	√	√	√	√	√
Hyperglycemia/Insulin resistance	√	√	×	√	×	×	√	√
Hepatic fat accumulation	√	√	×	√	√	√	√	√
Hyperlipidemia	√	√	×	√	√	√	√	√
Liver steatosis	Mild	√	√	√	√	√	Mild	√
Lobular inflammation	Mild	√	√	√	√	√	Mild	√
Hepatocyte ballooning	Mild	√	√	√	√	√	Mild	√
Fibrosis	Mild	√	√	√	√	√	Mild	√
Systemic inflammation	Mild	√	√	√	√	√	Mild
Obesity	√	√	×	√	√	√	√	√
Hyperglycemia/Insulin resistance	√	√	×	√	×	×	√	√
Hepatic fat accumulation	√	√	×	√	√	√	√	√
Hyperlipidemia	√	√	×	√	√	√	√	√
Liver steatosis	Mild	√	√	√	√	√	Mild	√
Lobular inflammation	Mild	√	√	√	√	√	Mild	√
Hepatocyte ballooning	Mild	√	√	√	√	√	Mild	√
Fibrosis	Mild	√	√	√	√	√	Mild	√
System inflammation	Mild	√	√	√	√	√	Mild	√

Relevant Ready-to-use Genetic Models

Cyagen offers ready-to-use genetically engineered mouse models for MASLD/MASH research, including humanized models targeting disease-relevant pathways. These models support target validation, mechanism-of-action studies and preclinical efficacy evaluation, with diet-induced or other disease induction protocols incorporated according to study objectives.

Catalog Number	Name	Base Strain	Research Application	Action
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INTEGRATED PRECLINICAL CAPABILITIES

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Model Quality & Husbandry: The In-Life Controls Behind Reproducible MASH Data

Cyagen supports consistent quality in diet-induced MASLD/MASH mouse studies through standardized housing density, diet handling, bedding and defined induction criteria. These controls help reduce variability and establish more consistent baseline conditions for preclinical efficacy evaluation.

Controlled from the start

Housing

Three mice per cage during induction, with defined housing density to accommodate increasing body size.

Diet handling

D12492 high-fat diet with 60% of calories from fat, refreshed twice weekly in small, frequent amounts.

Bedding

Standardized wood-shaving bedding supports cage hygiene and helps limit dietary confounders associated with bedding ingestion.

Weight + phenotype

Target weekly weight gain of 1.5–2.0 g and cohort mean body weight ≥42 g, with study-specific phenotype assessment.

From induction to efficacy

Age 5 weeks

Acclimate

One week of transitional feeding before induction for MASLD/MASH research.
Age 6–18 weeks

Induce & characterize

12-week HFD induction with metabolic and liver phenotype assessment.
Before dosing

Qualify & randomize

Confirm study-specific criteria, stabilize baseline conditions and randomize treatment groups.
During treatment

Evaluate efficacy

Assess metabolic outcomes, hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis, as appropriate to the model.

Timing reflects the standard HFD protocol. MASH studies require model-specific confirmation of liver pathology; induction duration may vary.

Study endpoints

Cyagen offers configurable metabolic, biochemical and histological assessments to evaluate disease phenotypes and treatment responses in MASLD/MASH mouse studies.

Assessment Area	Readouts
Body composition	Body weight、EchoMRI、micro-CT、terminal TD-NMR
Glucose metabolism	Fasting glucose & insulin、GTT、ITT
Lipids and liver injury	TG、TC、LDL-C、HDL-C、ALT、AST
Liver pathology	Liver gross morphology & wet weight、H&E、Oil Red O
Adipose inflammation	Adipose tissue H&E、macrophage IHC
Muscle function	Treadmill、grip strength、wire hang、grid hang
Circulating biomarkers	Serum ELISA

Case Studies

Key advantages

Diverse Model Portfolio

Diet-induced, genetically engineered, and target-humanized models support target validation and efficacy evaluation across MASLD/MASH research needs.

Tailored Study Design

Studies are designed around your therapeutic target, mechanism of action, and disease stage, with model selection and endpoints matched to project objectives.

Standardized Quality Controls

Defined husbandry practices, diet handling, and induction criteria help reduce variability and support consistent study conditions.

Integrated Efficacy Evaluation

Metabolic, biochemical, histopathological, and molecular assessments provide a comprehensive view of treatment effects on steatosis, inflammation, liver injury, and fibrosis.

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MASLD & MASH Preclinical CRO Services

Preclinical Models and Efficacy Evaluation for MASLD & MASH Research

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Explore Inducible and Surgical Models

Induction Timelines and Phenotypic Features

Relevant Ready-to-use Genetic Models

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Model Quality & Husbandry: The In-Life Controls Behind Reproducible MASH Data

Controlled from the start

From induction to efficacy

Acclimate

Induce & characterize

Qualify & randomize

Evaluate efficacy

Study endpoints

Case Studies