Kolkata, February 6, 2018: Indian Institute of Liver and Digestive Sciences, a brainchild of The Liver Foundation, West Bengal, in association with MedGenome, announced the launch of the R&D centre at IILDS, Sonarpur. The centre was inaugurated by Prof. Rajendra Pandey, Vice Chancellor, West Bengal University of Health Sciences Kolkata, Prof. Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay, Vice Chancellor Amity University Kolkata, and Dr Andrew Peterson, Molecular Biology, Principal Scientist Genentech, USA.
The IILDS-MedGenome centre is a state of the art cell biology lab and a functional genomics platform to identify biomarkers and functionally characterize the biomarkers in liver cells. The centre would provide a deeper understanding of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in the Indian subcontinent. NAFLD is the most common liver ailments that can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is a need of understanding the disease better at the cellular level. The centre will endeavor to better understand the cellular mechanisms involved in the progression of NAFLD to fibrosis of liver.
Speaking on the association Dr. Abhijit Chowdhury, Secretary- Liver Foundation West Bengal said, “In India there’s been a paradigm shift in the dynamics of liver disease. Over two lakh individuals die each year due to liver disease, and over ten lakh patients are newly diagnosed with liver cirrhosis every year. Liver and gastrointestinal illnesses are emerging as major health-care priorities in India and our association with MedGenome will provide much needed impetus to better understand and mitigate serious liver ailments.”
Sam Santhosh, Chairman and Founder, MedGenome, said, “Technological innovation and improved understanding of human diseases are the two pillars of medical science advancement. We are delighted to partner with IILDS in setting up an advanced genomics research centre here in West Bengal. Through our partnership we aim to build a centre of excellence for better diagsnosis and treatment solutions for combating liver disease.”
