What causes gluten allergy?

2002/09/27 Orobengoa, Olatz - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Biokimika
• Dietetika/Elikagaiak
• Osasuna

People allergic to gluten are called celiacs and one in every 200 people suffer from the disease. Gluten is a protein present in many cereals (wheat, barley, rye...). If one of the celiacs eats something containing gluten, their immune system provokes a violent response: gluten activates the T cells that are part of the immune system and that cause inflammation of the walls of the intestine.

Scientists at Stanford University found that after treating gluten with stomach and area enzymes, a 33 amino acid peptide is left undigested. To show that this peptide was the cause of allergy, the T cells of the celiacs contacted the peptide. The cells began to proliferate constantly due to peptide. In this way, they were able to demonstrate that this peptide was the main cause of allergy. Knowing the cause of allergy, it is much easier to find a suitable treatment for the disease. Today, the only thing people can do is take a lot of care of the diet and buy and eat gluten-free foods.

Scientists have proposed two treatment pathways from this peptide. The first would be the formation of drugs composed of an enzyme that would break the peptide. The enzyme needed to break the peptide is known, and they also know what bacteria it produces. The second is the creation of a vaccine based on peptide. It is possible that the use of the immune system to the presence of peptide does not produce intestinal inflammation.