  “The NIAAA model represents a significant advance in
understanding the progression of alcoholic liver disease, which
in severe cases can lead to liver failure and death. By
replicating both chronic and binge drinking, we are able to
simulate the natural drinking patterns of many alcoholic
hepatitis patients and the resulting liver injury,” said Kenneth
R. Warren, Ph.D., acting director of the NIAAA.  NIAAA mouse
modelIn the body, the liver filters out harmful substances and
plays a key role in breaking down alcohol. Alcoholic liver
disease (ALD) refers to a broad range of liver injury caused by
drinking. Some forms are mild and reversible while others, such
as cirrhosis, are life-threatening and irreversible. Fatty liver
disease, an early form of ALD marked by a build-up of fat in
liver cells, occurs in almost all heavy drinkers, but liver
damage can usually be reversed if the individual stops drinking.
About 20–40 percent of heavy drinkers will develop more severe
forms of alcoholic liver disease, includi