The Root Cause of Gluten Reaction and New Treatments for Celiac Disease

Understanding the root cause of the disease is a huge step towards getting rid of it. Scientists have managed to identify the source, in the form of new cells that play a significant role in triggering the reaction to gluten in celiac disease. And this opens up new possibilities for treatment.

The body's work is incredibly closely tied to what happens in the gastrointestinal tract. Our diet, work with calories, compliance with BJU. All this directly affects productivity, personal effectiveness and performance. More about this and other obvious and not so obvious things related to biohacking – community materials tell. Subscribe to stay up to date with new articles.

Causes of celiac disease and how to deal with them?

The gluten-free trend is strange. The root cause of the gluten-free diet is an autoimmune disease. As with other autoimmune diseases, the body mistakenly launches an immune response against a harmless molecule – in this case, the trigger is that same gluten, a protein found in many cereals. Eating these products leads to a number of unpleasant symptoms, and the only treatment is a strict diet. Scientists decided to understand the root causes, and conducted a separate study.

When does gluten trigger celiac disease?

To find a better option beyond diet, researchers have focused on the basic processes that trigger the response to gluten. In studies on mice and lab-grown mini-guts. Something similar is grown from brain tissue, and then these proto-brains are planted in robots or assembled into neural networks. Returning to the gut, scientists have observed the reactions of different cells in the presence of gluten.

This allowed us to narrow down the specific causes and effects and prove exactly why a particular reaction occurs and how.

Tohid Didar, one of the authors of the study.

It turns out that epithelial cells – the ones that make up the inner lining of the upper intestine – respond to gluten and actively stimulate the release of CD4+ T cells. In turn, these helper cells trigger an overactive immune response, which is felt as the common symptoms of celiac disease. It was widely believed that only immune cells were involved in the response, although it had been assumed that epithelial cells played a role. Now, the team says, that suspicion has been confirmed.

Additional factor in celiac disease

The team also found another factor involved in this process: Epithelial cells send stronger signals to immune cells in the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogenic species of bacteria that is not usually part of the healthy human microbiome.

The researchers say the discovery could provide new targets for developing drugs that could potentially treat or prevent celiac disease. Testing people for P. aeruginosa helps identify patients most at risk of developing the disease.

The only way we can treat celiac disease today is to eliminate gluten from the diet entirely. This is difficult, and experts agree that a gluten-free diet is not enough.

Elena Verdu, co-author of the study.

Our lifestyle, our productivity, begins with the work of the gastrointestinal tract. The microbiome affects not only the resistance to such disorders as celiac disease, but can also have a deeper impact on the body, up to control the likelihood of depression.

You will find more strange science news, as well as materials about the brain, psyche and consciousness in our community. Subscribe to stay up to date with new articles!