Celiac Disease: Understanding the Condition and Research

When someone with celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, eats foods that contain gluten, the immune system attacks the small intestine, blocking the absorption of nutrients. A vaccine was in the test stage in Australia in late 2009.

Considerations

• The only proven treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet that eliminates foods containing wheat, barley, and rye, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

Testing

• In April 2009, Australian researchers began an 11-month trial of a celiac disease vaccine. Already successful in mice, the human vaccine involves repeated injections of gluten solutions in increasing concentration to desensitize 40 volunteers to gluten.

Follow-Up

• In the second phase of the human trial, researchers will give the volunteers increasing amounts of gluten while monitoring their immune responses and any intestinal damage.

Expert Insight

• Lead researcher Dr. Bob Anderson, a medical doctor, believes that repeated exposure to gluten will reduce or even eliminate the toxic reaction that people with celiac disease experience.

Significance

• Even when people eliminate virtually all gluten from their diets, they are still at risk for complications of intestinal damage, including cancer. A vaccine that eliminates the destructive effect of celiac disease would promote health and quality of life, according to Celiac.com.