Today, more than half of the Swedish population is overweight or obese. Previously, it was thought that it was increased fatty tissue that was dangerous. Now we know that it is more important where the fat is stored. When fat tissue cannot store more fat, it is stored in other tissues such as the liver, heart and muscles. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been increasing rapidly. Today, 20-25% of the population has the disease and among patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes the figure is 70-90%. Patients with NAFLD live on average 5 years less. They are mainly affected by cardiovascular diseases, but liver-related mortality is also increasing. This is because around 20% of patients develop liver inflammation and liver fibrosis. This condition is called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Patients with NASH are at greatly increased risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer. There are still no approved drugs for NAFLD/NASH. Our project is based on a novel concept, whereby systems biology analyses identify target molecules, and then we develop small molecules that can inhibit or activate these target molecules. In cell culture and animal experiments, we test whether they can reduce fat accumulation and fibrotization in liver cells. Through an iterative process, we improve our small molecule drug candidates. The research team combines complementary skills and we have already generated results that demonstrate the success of the research strategy.