<p>The global rise in obesity and diabetes is leading to an epidemic in fatty liver disease affecting 20-30 per cent of the world’s population. Almost a third of people with fatty liver disease go on to develop an advanced form of the disease, known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) that can progress to cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease, or even liver cancer, and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Australian researchers have shown that the levels of the NOX4 protein change as the disease progresses – rising in the early stages of the disease to protect the liver, but declining as the liver disease gets worse.</p>