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- A Sweet Pill For Celiacs to Swallow? Progress on Enzyme Therapy for Celiac Disease
A Sweet Pill For Celiacs to Swallow? Progress on Enzyme Therapy for Celiac Disease
- By Jefferson Adams
- Published 02/7/2008
- Celiac Disease & Gluten Intolerance Research
-
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Jefferson Adams
Jefferson Adams is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. His poems and essays have appeared in Antioch Review, Blue Mesa Review, CALIBAN, Hayden's Ferry Review, and The Mississippi Review, among others.
View all articles by Jefferson AdamsA Sweet Pill For Celiacs to Swallow? Progress on Enzyme Therapy for Celiac Disease
Celiac.com 02/07/2008 - Are we close to finding a way for people with gluten intolerance and celiac disease to safely break down and properly digest wheat gluten and protein? An article recently published in the medical journal Gut describes the results of laboratory experiments in which doctors duplicated a human digestive tract and isolated an enzyme that degrades wheat gluten and protein. Moreover, the results show that the enzyme also eliminated the toxic response to the wheat gluten and protein common in folks with gluten intolerance and celiac disease.
According to the researchers, if a full-scale trial confirms the results, people with gluten intolerance and celiac disease might be able to safely stray from their strict gluten-free diets on occasion.
The enzyme is prolyl endoprotease isolated from Aspergillus niger and shows the power to quickly and effectively break down gluten peptides and proteins in a simulated human digestive tract. The enzyme has a similar pH level to that of the stomach, and remains intact in the stomach’s strongly acidic conditions.
The research team, led by Dr. C. Mitea from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands tested the enzyme in a controlled system built to function in way that is nearly identical with the human gastrointestinal tract.
According to the report, the enzyme increased the digestion speed of the glutenins and gliadins that are found in white bread, and which people with gluten intolerance and celiac disease cannot properly break down. After 90 minutes, the gluten proteins treated with the enzyme were undetectable after 90 minutes, whereas those glutens not treated with the enzyme, remained in the stomach for at least two hours.
The research team obtained similar results when they repeated the test on a fast food meal rather than just white bread alone, and showed that the enzyme treated food samples also eliminated adverse T-cell stimulatory activity that occurred in untreated samples. The tests showed that, in the same amount of time that food normally remains in the stomach, the enzyme brought about the total elimination of T-cell stimulatory peptides of gliadins and glutenins.
From the test results, the research team concluded that the enzyme is a solid choice for clinical trials to determine if it can eliminate 100% of gluten toxicity. They also noted that the enzyme is readily available in industrial quantities, and thus easy to tailor into a suitable treatment should trials prove fruitful.
Gut, Jan 2008; 57: 25 - 32.
Editor's Note: This is not a therapy that is designed to allow celiacs to eat gluten on a daily basis. At best it will allow them to not worry about cross-contamination when eating out.
According to the researchers, if a full-scale trial confirms the results, people with gluten intolerance and celiac disease might be able to safely stray from their strict gluten-free diets on occasion.
The enzyme is prolyl endoprotease isolated from Aspergillus niger and shows the power to quickly and effectively break down gluten peptides and proteins in a simulated human digestive tract. The enzyme has a similar pH level to that of the stomach, and remains intact in the stomach’s strongly acidic conditions.
The research team, led by Dr. C. Mitea from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands tested the enzyme in a controlled system built to function in way that is nearly identical with the human gastrointestinal tract.
According to the report, the enzyme increased the digestion speed of the glutenins and gliadins that are found in white bread, and which people with gluten intolerance and celiac disease cannot properly break down. After 90 minutes, the gluten proteins treated with the enzyme were undetectable after 90 minutes, whereas those glutens not treated with the enzyme, remained in the stomach for at least two hours.
The research team obtained similar results when they repeated the test on a fast food meal rather than just white bread alone, and showed that the enzyme treated food samples also eliminated adverse T-cell stimulatory activity that occurred in untreated samples. The tests showed that, in the same amount of time that food normally remains in the stomach, the enzyme brought about the total elimination of T-cell stimulatory peptides of gliadins and glutenins.
From the test results, the research team concluded that the enzyme is a solid choice for clinical trials to determine if it can eliminate 100% of gluten toxicity. They also noted that the enzyme is readily available in industrial quantities, and thus easy to tailor into a suitable treatment should trials prove fruitful.
Gut, Jan 2008; 57: 25 - 32.
Editor's Note: This is not a therapy that is designed to allow celiacs to eat gluten on a daily basis. At best it will allow them to not worry about cross-contamination when eating out.
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Comments
#1 ( an unknown user)
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Wonderful news! Thank you.
#2 ( Ema)
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The trial tests have already been done on Celiac's in the US. Just waiting for the final product and go ahead by the FDA for it to go on the market. Will be by prescription only when it does hit the shelves.
#3 ( gail zamberlin)
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This is wonderful news to hear as both my son and I are celiac , please let us know when the FDA has approved such an enzyme. Thank you again. Gail Zamberlin.
#4 ( valerie)
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Great news! I'll be first in line. Thank you.
#5 ( Paul)
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Great news! I'm newly diagnosed, but am anxious to learn all I can about possible treatment. Keep up the good work.
#6 ( Brenda)
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Great article. Please keep informative articles like this coming, they are much appreciated.
#7 ( sonja)
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This is great news. I have been a Celiac for 6 years so I am looking forward to it's availability.
Thank you for this info.
#8 ( DIANE LEDES)
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VERY PROMISING, PLEASE FINALIZE AND EXPEDITE PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY. I HOPE IT IS RX. SO THAT EVERY TOM, DICK AND HARRY CAN'T GET IT, ONLY THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CELIAC SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET IT AND MAYBE THOSE THAT HAVE DRUG PLANS CAN GET SOME ASSISTANCE, WE GET NONE ON THE SPECIAL FOOD WE HAVE TO EAT. HURRY UP OUT THERE, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE ANXIOUSLY WAITING.
#9 ( Amir)
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That is wonderful news--I have never heard it before. I hope the enzyme pill prescription will be available as soon as possible.
#10 ( Angela Fisher)
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Great article. I can't wait until it is
available to us.
#11 ( Wife of a Celiac)
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Great news in your article! My husband has Celiac and it is a blessing just knowing that there is possibly a treatment in the very near future! Please keep us updated. Thank you!
#12 ( Patti)
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As my daughter and I both have Celiac Disease, we are anxiously awaiting the pill. Please let me know if you need a tester in New England.
#13 ( Daksha)
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GOD is definately listening to our prayers.......
Well done and a BIG THANKS to the researchers and CELIAC.COM
#14 ( Gillian Bramwell)
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I have a reaction to gluten within 5 minutes of ingesting it. Something that takes 90 minutes to work would not be much help.
Perhaps this would be more useful for individuals who have genetic potential for celiac but haven't yet developed an active case.
#15 ( sandra bookbinder)
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I want to know more about this pill and when it will be on the market. I want to test it.
#16 ( Barbara)
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Encouraging
#17 ( Barry Pressman)
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It may or may not work, but is there any info regarding projected cost of the pills and whether or not they would be covered by insurance?
#18 ( Sherry-Ann Herman-Kalpoo)
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Very informative. My baby was diagnosed with celiac disease at 8 months and I am just trying to get all the possible ways to help her deal with it as she gets older. Keep up the good work and every little detail will be greatly appreciated.
#19 ( Susan Bigras)
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Great news indeed! In regards to Comment #8 - don't understand why "only" those with celiac should have access. Why would anyone else want it? Also, GF food is a write off on taxes. It is medically necessary - keep each and every receipt!! We celiacs pay a fortune for our foods! Someone needs to do something about THAT!!!
#20 ( Linda Gordon)
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Oh, how I would love to be able to eat out again!
#21 ( Helen Haas)
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Wonderful news I have had Celiac for only 3 years and I am able to eat rolled oats once a week things have been good for me as I did keep a very stick diet...good work
#22 ( Zack Arthur)
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Wow that is awesome...Can't wait to try it out!
#23 ( Betty Styger)
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This would make life much easier, as most products seem to have wheat in them. Would be willing to test it. thank you.
#24 ( an unknown user)
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What does "toxic response" mean? What about the *autoimmune* response? This seems like a drastic oversimplification of the disease. If I didn't know better, I'd read this and think celiac disease was essentially the same as lactose intolerance. For me, this article glosses over a lot of important technicalities and ignores some glaring potential problems.
#25 ( Rosemarie Nocera)
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Thanks for this informative article. In reading the responses I feel most of my fellow celiacs are miss understanding what you have said. This is NOT a therapy, but something to take when eating out to help with cross contamination. It is a first step though. I live for the day I can order a Sicilian pizza with everything or eat bread when I go out to dinner.
#26 ( lala)
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RESPONSE to #14 & #8
Last week I read about a product called Gluten Digest made by NOW -which makes high quality supplements.
I am VERY interested in trying it out!
Comment #14 - The idea is that if we take an enzyme like this daily we should have good results when we are contaminated or when we eat it on purpose(!).
Comment #8 - This should absolutely be available over the counter because being gluten free costs enough already-the world seems so intolerable for a gluten free person that I would be annoyed if we were alienated further by needing a prescription. Also then we are labeled as having an auto-immune disorder which is such a crappy western way of looking at the body. Think positively & rid your body of dis-ease.
I like to say that my body is "sensitive" and that I manage that by not eating certain foods -I don't feel the need to label it with some terrible name unless it benefits me in a restaurant etc.
Do you WANT to have a disorder or do you want to LIVE healthily?(unlike all the wheat eaters in the world!) Sometimes I think we are lucky for being intolerant of such a poison!
#27 ( Roberta)
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That's GREAT news! I just hope that the drug company that eventually produces the pill doesn't capitalize on our enthusiasm by charging exorbitant prices for it!
#28 ( Kathryn)
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Wonderful news! Can't wait for it to be available. I also hope they make it by Rx only. Keep us posted!
#29 ( Dee)
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I quote - "shows the power to quickly and effectively break down gluten peptides and proteins in a simulated human digestive tract"
This sounds very promising indeed - however it is a simulated human digestive tract - I wonder when they will try it on the real deal? Keep us posted with all the breaking news!
#30 ( Noelle Doby)
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This is great news. Maybe now with a family of 5, 3 of which have celiac, we can have a lower grocery bill. Yeah!!!!!!
#31 ( Diane)
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My concern is the Aspergillus Niger. I am allergic to it when it is air borne. Could this be a possible allergen and cause other problems?
#32 ( an unknown user)
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I use a product available at health food stores called Gluten Ease, which allows me to eat out occasionally without worrying about cross contamination. It is NOT a treatment, but an enzyme that helps break down gluten, preventing or at the very least moderating my symptoms. It's about $30 for a 60 tab bottle, made by Enzymedica. I'd love to have other choices!!!
#33 ( joan)
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I'd love to know when this is available. Family potlucks are always a challenge.
#34 ( an unknown user)
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Wow I am so excited to hear this news. My daughter has celiac disease and that is some of the best news I have heard!!!!!! Lets us know when it is out there.
#35 ( Sue)
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I am doing enzyme therapy and aspergillus niger is what I am using. I've not been definitively diagnosed as celiac (a biopsy 14 years ago was negative) but problems have pointed towards at least gluten intolerance. I was motivated to start enzyme therapy when I was tested for IgA allergies/sensitivities by Enterolab with positive results for gluten, soy, dairy and eggs. I'm not eating anything with those foods for at least a year and hope, with the enzyme therapy, to be able to at least eventually rotate the dairy and eggs. I'm a type 1 diabetic (38 years) and was diagnosed with atrophic gastritis & malabsorption of fat soluble vitamins 3 years ago -- this is what led me to reconsider the celiac issue. I've read a lot about enzyme therapy (google on enzymes+Edward Howell; enzymes+Howard Loomis; or the book Enzyme Cure). It is very grounded and not a new concept. I didn't start the enzyme therapy thinking gluten might be feasible again but it would be great to have additional research that shows the enzymes help process the gluten. Looking forward to hearing more!
#36 ( harlev miryam)
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Wonderful news! Can you put me in a list of trial when it will be available.
#37 ( Dr. Stephen Wangen)
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I am a doctor specializing in gluten intolerance, IBS, and food allergies. Enzymes that digest gluten already exist and are on the market. The research mentioned here is only confirming their effectiveness. Previous research by Dr. Mitea (PMID: 16690904) and others has also been published on enzymes. We offer patients at our clinic, the IBS Treatment Center, an enzyme product called GlutEnzyme which has been effective for minimizing the damage from accidental ingestion of gluten for many of our patients. Your doctor should be able to get it for you. However, it is essential to remember that it is not a cure for celiac disease or gluten intolerance and should only be used to minimize the damage from the accidental ingestion of gluten.
#38 ( PAT PHILLIPS)
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I HAVE HAD CELIAC FOR TWO YEARS NOW WOULD LOVE TO TRY A PILL TO HELP WITH THIS DIET, IT WOULD BE A BLESSING.
#39 ( Dana Oliver)
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This was very well written and explained all we need to know. Thanks for the update!
#40 ( Anonymous)
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We would LOVE to get some of the Celiac Rapid Home Test. This is something any celiac would want to keep on hand!
Feeling unwell and being able to confirm that something eaten seems to have had gluten would be very helpful - For example, managing concerns as to what might be wrong (some have related conditions due to late diagnosis, are in a pregnancy, etc). They are on the market in the UK.
#41 ( john decker)
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thank you
#42 ( Regina Fink)
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My sister, father and I all have gluten intolerance. I have been taking the Gluten Ease when I go out to eat. It seems to help when I only eat out infrequently. If I eat gluten every day and take the Gluten Ease, after a few days, the gluten intolerance symptoms come back.
#43 ( Marius Gavrilescu)
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It's fantastic news, it's divine!
#44 ( Patricia Spradlin)
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Great article, awesome news about the pill. I really hope for all of us with Celiac Disease it happens soon.
#45 ( marco )
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It should be available as well without prescription so to lower the cost! What about availability in Canada?
#46 ( G)
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Sounds too good to be true. We'll see after several people have tested it on themselves if this is possibly what our intestine digestive system is missing. My digestion disorder (celiac disease) is at its worst form, its genetic from my mother and grandfather who presented similar symptoms for years. If this enzyme is functional in aiding in cross contamination then how much will I need to buy every month? The cost might be more than just staying clear and on organic raw vegis/fruits/fish. I'm so use to the diet now.
#47 ( Amy K)
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My Father-in-law is actually participating in trials right now. I don't know which enzyme they are testing, but the regimen is to take the first pill 15 minutes before eating, and the second in the middle of the meal. It sounds like a pill, like Lactaid, to allow people with a reaction to gluten to eat gluten containing products. Sorry I didn't grill him for more details!
#48 ( Doug Bianchi)
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If only they knew what a taste of real pizza would be like. Even if only once in a while.
Thanks