A hopeful report about celiac disease
I just can’t believe how much interest there is in celiac disease.
For example, when I mentioned this next report on one of my daily news bits on Global TV, I got more email on this than on any other topic I had ever dealt with: clearly, a great many people either are – or think they are – celiacs.
So here’s the report: researchers from Australia report finding the 3 protein fragments in gluten that are most toxic to people with celiac disease, a work that was like looking for a needle in the proverbial haystack, since gluten is known to contain at least 2700 protein fragments.
But, according to these researchers, these 3 fragments account for the majority of immune reactions that occurs in CD (although they actually found 90 fragments that could produce immune responses, but these 3 were most prevalent), and the reason that’s such terrific news, if it’s true, is that this could lead to several important advances.
First, it should be pretty easy to develop a good test for reaction to these fragments, which could then be used as a screening test, and likely a much better screening test than the one currently in use.
Second, and even more important, I think, especially to long-term celiacs like me, is that research can now speed ahead on ways to try to desensitize celiac to these particular fragments, that is, it could be that one day not too long away, a celiac who got desensitization treatment might be able to eat some gluten-rich pastries or bread or even drink some regular beer (made with barley hops, and not with yuck! Rice).
Written by Dr. Art Hister
Thursday, 05 August 2010 17:41
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