- Home
- Celiac Disease Diagnosis, Testing & Treatment (Gluten-Free Diet)
- Oxford Research May Lead to a Cure for Celiac Disease
Oxford Research May Lead to a Cure for Celiac Disease
- By Scott Adams
- Published 06/25/2001
- Celiac Disease Diagnosis, Testing & Treatment (Gluten-Free Diet)
- Rating:
Scott Adams
In 1994 I was diagnosed with celiac disease, which led me to create Celiac.com in 1995. I created this site for a single purpose: To help as many people as possible with celiac disease get diagnosed so they can begin to live happy, healthy gluten-free lives. Celiac.com was the first site on the Internet dedicated solely to celiac disease, and since then it has become an invaluable resource to people worldwide who seek information about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet.
In 1998 I created The Gluten-Free Mall, Your Special Diet Superstore! which was also another Internet first—it was the first gluten-free food site to offer a shopping cart-style interface, and the ability for people to order gluten-free products manufactured by many different companies at a single Web site.
I am also co-author of the book Cereal Killers, and founder and publisher of Journal of Gluten Sensitivity.
March 2000 Volume 6 Number 3 pp 337 - 342
Robert P. Anderson, Pilar Degano, Andrew J. Godkin, Derek P. Jewell
& Adrian V.S. Hill
Celiac.com 06/25/2001 - Researchers from the Institute of molecular Medicine and the Nuffield Department of Gastroenterology at Oxford University lead by Dr Robert Anderson have published a study regarding the toxic fraction of gluten, and the specific immune response to this fraction. To date scientists basic understanding of the mechanism that causes celiac disease has been linked to a broad immune response to a variety of gluten peptides, but researchers lacked specifics about both processes. This general understanding has now become very specific based on this new research. By subjecting 12 people with celiac disease to a gluten challenge and monitoring 51 fragments of the A-gliadin gluten protein in their bodies, researchers have determined the specific celiac disease antigen responsible for damage caused by the disorder, and the specific immune response that is caused by the antigen. The results of the study indicate that initial immune reaction to gluten was caused by only two adjacent fragments of the protein, which actually represented a single A-gliadin sequence. The immune response to this single fragment was identical in 11 out of 12 test subjects with celiac disease, and the immune response was not seen in the control subjects who did not have celiac disease. Researchers in Norway have also replicated these results.
These findings may lead to better diagnostic tests and treatment for celiac disease, including the possibility of a vaccine or a genetically-modified version of wheat that excludes the harmful A-gliadin sequence, thus making it harmless to celiacs. Dr. Robert Anderson believes that a vaccine for celiac disease would likely involve using the toxic peptide itself, or a variation of it, to desensitize a person with the disease to the A-gliadin sequence. Further research in the area is now underway by the team.
As always, Celiac.com welcomes your comments (see below).
Get FREE Celiac.com email alerts (1-3 email per month with the latest celiac disease research and information, gluten-free recipes, etc.).
Article Options
25 Responses to "Oxford Research May Lead to a Cure for Celiac Disease"
|
said this on
02 Nov 2009 5:56:24 AM PDT Encouraging news. Something to hope for.
|
Author)|
said this on
27 Dec 2009 5:09:54 PM PDT Please cure my disease, I'm 15 and I want to eat pizza with my friends.
|
|
said this on
05 Jan 2010 5:30:25 PM PDT I'm 16 and in the same boat as you, I have been gluten free over a year. If you have any questions or need some support you can talk to me.
|
|
said this on
29 Dec 2010 11:29:38 PM PDT Have a little faith, there will be a cure. For now, there are alternatives to eating gluten products. I to have this crappy disease and chose to go around and it and not let it get me.
|
|
said this on
13 Jan 2010 10:11:39 AM PDT I'm 16 and I was diagnosed about 6 years ago. I hope that a cure will be found.
|
|
said this on
15 Mar 2010 7:05:46 AM PDT You guys are breaking my heart. My 9 year old daughter is there with you....let's all pray for the cure to come soon so you guys can enjoy your youth a little more! :-)
|
|
said this on
25 Mar 2010 11:06:03 AM PDT You are all breaking my heart! I am 63 yrs old and have just been diagnosed and I'm now depressed facing life without all my favorite foods.... but I'm 63 not 15....Let's hope for a cure soon, as this article was from March 2000.
|
|
said this on
20 Jul 2010 6:38:56 PM PDT I am so nervous about eating out and I have had this since 1997. I just wish I could eat whatever I wanted like everyone else!
|
|
said this on
21 Jul 2010 8:09:26 AM PDT This is so exciting! I'm 12, and I've been on the diet for about 5 years. I hope this dream becomes reality soon!
|
|
said this on
10 Aug 2010 2:20:39 PM PDT I am 13 and have had it my whole life. I hope there is a cure soon and I agree with Maria. This article was 10 years ago!!
|
|
said this on
13 Aug 2010 7:44:39 PM PDT You guys are right, there have been a lot of breakthroughs since this article was published.
|
|
said this on
08 Jan 2011 5:49:03 PM PDT I am 41years old and I need to get back eating cake, I need now...the real kind!
|
|
said this on
19 Feb 2011 9:13:52 AM PDT I hope for a cure as well. I'm gluten intolerant too & it stinks. Just because this article is 10 years old means little. While cleaning my Dad's house after his death, I found a newspaper with headlines stating that a cancer cure was just a few years away--printed in 1918. I hope someone finds a cure so I can have another caramel roll & a decent piece of toast before I check out.
|
|
said this on
16 Mar 2011 2:58:37 PM PDT I agree its needs to come soon. I just turned 21 and just found out 8 months ago I was gluten intolerant. I can't imagine being getting it any younger! Although it is a healthier way to eat sometime regular bread or a hot dog or hamburger with a bun would be nice!
|
|
said this on
02 Jul 2011 11:02:28 PM PDT Sorry if I don't get excited about this "hopeful" information...
Living like like some kind of odd-ball alien who can't eat people-food just plain stinks. I don't wish this disease on anyone, except perhaps the researchers, so they might be a bit more motivated to GET ON WITH IT!!! |
|
said this on
06 Aug 2011 10:15:26 AM PDT I'm 22 and was diagnosed 6 months ago. This disease has lost me the job I wanted my whole life, a military officer. A cure is the only way for me to get that dream back so I pray with you all.
|
|
said this on
09 Aug 2011 1:26:03 PM PDT Sorry for being nosy but why does celiac stop You from being in the army? Isn't that prejudice or something? I was diagnosed September last year and I am having trouble coping, I hate having to make "special" arrangements for my friends birthdays if we have a meal out and today I was actually crying because I wanted a Poki stick, I ended up eating them regardless, I'm sure to regret this. I hope for myself and all of you people that someone comes up with a cure soon! There's always hope right?
|
|
said this on
30 Aug 2011 7:53:16 AM PDT I also hope they do find the cure to this. But all of you need to think about how lucky that this is all that is wrong with us. It could be 14,999 other things wrong with us. We are lucky that this is all it is. We are forced to eat better. I know it sucks at times. But at least it's not cancer, or some other illness.
|
|
said this on
15 Jan 2012 12:42:04 PM PDT I promise you guys, I will fund the research to find the cure. I promise on my life.
|
|
said this on
20 Jan 2012 6:07:30 AM PDT Hey guys I feel for you all. My mum has had this for a long time and because I'm the only one who cares what I eat I front of her I've started to eat gluten free foods. I wish there was a cure as I hate seeing people eat what they want but my mum cannot. Must be so hard for people who've been able to eat what they want for most of their lives--please bring a cure to the limelight.
|
|
said this on
08 Feb 2012 7:10:02 AM PDT I understand what you all are saying. I have had celiac disease since I was 18 yrs old. It's a hard life, but you have to keep your head up and forge ahead. Lots of places have a gluten-free menu (even Olive Garden!) and there are so many new gluten free items at stores. Hopefully one day there will be a cure, but for now you don't have to stop living your life, you just have to try to think on the positive side.
|
|
said this on
11 Mar 2012 8:40:13 PM PDT My 7 year old son was just diagnosed with celiac this week. It's breaking my heart. He's already a picky eater and now this. Pizza and donuts and chicken nuggets are his favorite foods! (Not together, of course.) I know I can make gluten free versions of them I just hope they taste as good for him. Why can't we find any more updated articles on the research and cure? This article is 12 YEARS AGO! Thank you! (((HUGS))) to all of you going through this with us.
|
|
said this on
08 May 2012 2:13:27 AM PDT My life was crappy since my childhood but I didnt know why untill I was diagnosed in Oct 2010. It's very hard to follow the diet. I fight with my family members to ensure that they don't touch food with their spoons, etc. I always feel pain if I eat heavy sugars like potato or if I eat from cafeterias. I had to change my job to an office job in order to reduce the stress on my body. I'm not able to date/marry because this disease is playing with my nerves and I'm a guy. I believe there will be cure for this disease and I'm saving money because once they discover the cure I hope to get cured I will travel the world. I will eat everything. I will start looking for a girl without the need to look like pathetic. I'm praying everyday, please everyone do so. He will answer our need.
|
|
said this on
23 May 2012 3:35:59 PM PDT Don't put off girls till there's a cure. Just find a vegetarian or someone with a similarly inconvenient diet.
|
|
said this on
05 Jul 2012 2:38:32 AM PDT Has anyone tried the specific carbohydrate diet? You should read up on it as there are many people out there who have removed gluten from their diet but are still not fully healing. I am one of those people and I'm very serious and determined to do whatever it takes to get my health back again. Apparently the specific carbohydrate diet has cured many people's diseases including celiac disease and Crohn's. As for me, I'm now following a strict fruit and vegetable only diet for now to see how I get on, but I'm considering trying the specific carbohydrate diet a bit later. Good luck to you all.
|