Celiac Disease: New Hope for a Pill Treatment

By Annette Pinder

About a decade ago when my daughter, Amy, was first diagnosed with celiac disease, I found that few health practitioners understood this genetic disorder that affects one out of nearly 105 children and adults.

People with celiac disease (celiacs) are unable to eat foods containing gluten found in wheat and other grains. If they do, an autoimmune reaction results in destruction of the villi in the small intestine, and produces antibodies that attack the intestine, causing damage and illness. Untreated celiacs are at risk for osteoporosis, central and peripheral nervous system disease, pancreatic disease, internal hemorrhaging, and gynecological disorders, among other maladies.

The current treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet which, fortunately reverses damage to the intestinal tract. However, because gluten is a hidden ingredient in many foods and preservatives, the diet can be challenging. And consuming just one milligram of gluten has the same effect as eating 10,000 milligrams. It didn't take long to realize that the days of eating bread, cake, pizza and pasta for Amy were over.

After reading about the Center for Celiac Research, I decided to call world-renowned pediatric gastroenterologist, research scientist, and founder of the first celiac center in the United States, Alessio Fasano, M.D.. I was encouraged when Dr. Fasano predicted that in ten years a pill would make it possible for celiacs to eat gluten. Soon thereafter, Dr. Fasano discovered zonulin, a protein that modulates the permeability (or leakage) of tight junctions between the cells of the walls of the digestive tract.

Now Justin Siegel, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, has re-engineered a naturally occurring enzyme called kumamolisin-As. According to Siegel, this enzyme breaks down gluten in the stomach into much smaller protein pieces, called peptides, which are less likely to trigger the autoimmune response that results in celiac disease's symptoms. In fact, the enzyme dismantled more than 95 percent of the gluten peptide thought to cause celiac disease.

Siegel says he hopes the enzyme will someday be available in drug stores as an over-the-counter food additive, much like Beano, and Gas-X. But it could take a decade to develop, particularly if researchers choose to make it a prescription drug, requiring U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. He says, "We did the engineering to change the genes and created the protein. Now we need to show the enzyme is non-toxic and functions as a protein people can safely consume." To learn more about celiac disease, visit the Center for Celiac Research at http://www.celiaccenter.org. To learn about ongoing clinical trials visit www.albatherapeutics.com.

If you or someone you know has celiac disease you might want to know more about local events and support groups visit www.buffaloglutenfree.org or call 432-3338.