What is Hepatitis Information Center?

Tatsuya Kanto

Director General

The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, The Hepatitis Information Center, Division of Liver Disease Research, National Center for Global Health and Medicine

The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology was established in 2008 as a division of National Center for Global Health and Medicine, and as of May 2016 consists of four research departments, one research project and the Hepatitis Information Center.

The Hepatitis Information Center was established in 2008 to promote the standardization of hepatitis care and to further improve the medical standard nationwide. The Center collaborates with a total of 72 Regional core centers in 47 prefectures throughout Japan. The Center is in charge of accomplishing three important missions: (1) to provide information on hepatitis care, (2) to facilitate information sharing among the regional core centers, and (3) to train medical staff, hepatitis medical care coordinators (HMCCs), and counselors who are involved in hepatitis care. The main mission of the center had been reviewed in 2016, and then the Center works closely with the regional core centers and strengthens the full network for liver disease care, and makes recommendations regarding hepatitis care based on thier activities.

Hepatitis C, which is the majority of chronic liver diseases, has made significant advances in treatment, and shifted from an "incurable disease" to a "curable disease." The national health insurance system and the medical expense subsidy system for hepatitis treatment have made expensive medications affordable, and are leading further reduction in liver cancer mortality. However, not all liver disease treatments have been established, and treatment options especially for decompensated cirrhosis of any etiology are limited. An estimated 500,000 patients nationwide do not visit a hospital even after diagnosis of viral hepatitis. Since these patients are at high risk for liver cancer, active encouragement to visit one of specialized institutions including regional core centers is necessary. The Center will work together with regional core centers to further strengthen the path from hepatitis testing to hospital visits and treatment.

The Division of Liver Disease Research of the Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology conducts the basic and clinical research. This division aims to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic methods by elucidating the pathogenesis and progression mechanisms of liver diseases such as viral hepatitis, steatohepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer. One of the important role of the Center is to bring research results from our research division and other facilities to the clinical practice of liver disease treatment.

We hope that the Hepatitis Information Center will be an open and reliable organization not only for all those involved in the treatment of liver diseases, but also for patients with liver diseases and their families.