Experts See Way To Cut Wheat Gluten

[kenlove]

Scott,

Maybe you have the full story and I missed it. Our paper didnt have too much to say----

Experts see way to cut wheat gluten [Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 4 December 2012]

A team of scientists has concluded that it is possible to develop gluten-free wheat plants, according to a study published in the journal PNAS, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

People with serious gluten allergies such as celiac disease now have only one tried-and-true option and that is to swear off all foods containing wheat, barley and rye. Only then can they avoid the damage that gluten exposure wreaks, such as abdominal pain, nutritional deficiencies and a progressive flattening of the tiny hairlike villi in the gut that are needed for the proper digestion of food.

Avoiding gluten isn’t easy, and those with the discipline to succeed deal with a host of diet restrictions.

Gluten is a complicated mix of proteins that are stored in seeds of wheat, barley and rye, and only some of these proteins trigger the allergic reactions.

Scientists have experimented with sifting through varieties of wheat and barley lines that lack or make a lot less of key gluten proteins in their grains.

But though they have found varieties that lack some of the important allergenic proteins, “None of the tested materials was completely nontoxic for celiac patients and thus could not be recommended for general consumption,” note the study’s authors.

Those authors, Shanshan Wen of Washington State University in Pullman and colleagues, tried a different approach. It hinged on a key enzyme, one that helps activate a whole set of genes that make the most problematic gluten proteins. Using a genetic engineering trick, they knocked out that enzyme. As a result, the seeds of the wheat they studied had sharply reduced levels of this set of problem proteins.

The authors say it will take more tinkering before they can create a line that eliminates the problem proteins entirely while keeping other non-problem ones in the seeds. But they write that they have a good chance of doing it and that the resulting wheat still should make decent bread for baking.

Next will come testing — in cell cultures, mice and gluten-sensitive apes.

This isn’t the only approach to new dietary solutions for celiac disease. Some scientists, for example, think it might be possible to develop oral enzyme therapies. These would digest away the bits of gluten that cause allergic reactions because they aren’t properly digested by natural digestive enzymes.

Others think it might be possible to desensitize celiac patients by feeding them tiny amounts of gluten and slowly increasing the dose, an approach that’s been successful in some clinical trials in treating allergies to peanuts or milk.

[tom]

I would've title it "Misguided dreamers see way to reduce one type of harmful protein sequence as academic/scientific exercise while admitting "None of the tested materials was completely nontoxic for celiac patients"."

Personally, I find the idea on par w/ the last graf's "desensitizing" celiac away, as if it's an allergy, which should, imho, be a ridiculous notion.

[kenlove]

wheres your like button <G>

[Takala]

We need to stop them from putting this GMO garbage "modified sorta kinda like don't look too closely not toxic to celiacs gluten" wheat genetic material into RICE, to create what they pretend is a safe, drought - tolerant version of it. Talk about nightmare scenarios, and that is certainly where this could be heading, because of the vicious fight they waged against GMO labeling in California during the last election, a rice growing state. I am certainly amazed at the deliberate, ongoing, organized misinformation campaign against gluten free food safety the usual Forces of Evil are waging in the social media over this.

[kenlove]

Well said Takala, Hell I blame gmo and the additives for our diseases and my food allergies, including celiac.

We need to stop them from putting this GMO garbage "modified sorta kinda like don't look too closely not toxic to celiacs gluten" wheat genetic material into RICE, to create what they pretend is a safe, drought - tolerant version of it. Talk about nightmare scenarios, and that is certainly where this could be heading, because of the vicious fight they waged against GMO labeling in California during the last election, a rice growing state. I am certainly amazed at the deliberate, ongoing, organized misinformation campaign against gluten free food safety the usual Forces of Evil are waging in the social media over this.

[GottaSki]

Genetic manipulation is - IMO - what has caused the alarming increase in Celiac Disease, NCGI along with all AIs -- I don't want a safe wheat - I want safe foods - period.

[kenlove]

SO true Lisa-- just real food would be nice..

[cahill]

Genetic manipulation is - IMO - what has caused the alarming increase in Celiac Disease, NCGI along with all AIs -- I don't want a safe wheat - I want safe foods - period.

I totally agree !!!