The Indian Institute of Liver and Digestive Sciences (IILDS) today launched a research and development centre at Sonarpur in the southern fringes of the city to provide a deeper understanding of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the Indian subcontinent.
 

The NAFLD is the most common liver ailment that can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, Liver Foundation West Bengal secretary Abhijit Chowdhury said during the launch. He said, "Liver and gastrointestinal illnesses are emerging as major health-care priorities in India. Over two lakh people die each year due to liver disease and over ten lakh patients are newly diagnosed with liver cirrhosis every year here".

The IILDS in association with MedGenome, will provide for better understanding and mitigate serious liver ailments, sources in it said. The centre, which was inaugurated by Vice-chancellor of West Bengal University of Health Sciences Prof Rajendra Pandey, is a state-of-the-art cell biology lab and a functional genomics platform to identify biomarkers and functionally characterise the biomarkers in liver cells, they added.