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Celiac.com 12/28/2018 - Beyond a few teaser studies, we don’t know enough about whether the individual micro-biome might play a role in the development of celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Top celiac researcher Alessio Fasano, together with colleague G. Serena, recently presented an overview of current knowledge regarding the contribution of the individual micro-biome to celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Their discussion includes a particular focus on how probiotics may be used as potential preventive therapy for CIDs. They are both affiliated with the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center and Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. As part of their presentation, they write that, globally, cases of chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs) are undergoing a steep rise. This rise, together with limited effective strategies for slowing these disease explosions demands deeper knowledge of their physical mechanisms in order to reduce the adverse effects of the diseases on children. Several cross-sectional studies have shown a connection between intestinal microbial imbalance and active disease. Unfortunately, they note, these studies do not demonstrate any connection between changes in microflora as a factor in disease development, and so do not suggest any promising directions to explore for possible treatments. Fasano and Serena say that additional studies are needed to show conclusively whether intestinal dysbiosis plays a part in triggering CIDs. Furthermore, given the complexity of the microflora interaction with the host, it is necessary to design a systems-level model of interactions between the host and the development of disease by integrating micro-biome, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics with either clinical or environmental data. In their overview, Fasano and Serena discuss the current knowledge regarding the contribution of the individual microbiome to celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Their discussion includes a particular focus on how probiotics may be used as potential preventive therapy for CIDs. The article includes a paywall, but you may find it at: Adv Exp Med Biol. 2018 Dec 20. doi: 10.1007/5584_2018_317

Celiac.com 09/03/2021 - Specially designed antibodies could help prevent development of celiac disease, according to new research. Monoclonal antibodies are basically lab-crafted immune cells that increase the body's defenses against infections and toxins, according to the Food and Drug Administration. A research team used a new method to specially modify monoclonal antibodies that prevent the human immune system from recognizing gluten as a toxin. This means that the body's T cells, will not respond to gluten, enabling the body to digest and process it without triggering classic celiac symptoms. T cells, like antibodies, help the immune system to fight off potentially harmful diseases or other foreign intruders. The researchers used the same method to prevent celiac disease in mice, though they still need to conduct human trials using the method. These drugs, which are tailored specifically to the target virus or toxin, are commonly used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis, and most recently have been explored as a potential treatment option for COVID-19. According to co-author, Geir Åge Løset, the team's research shows "that a highly successful and well-recognized drug class, namely monoclonal antibodies also may find its place in the growing therapeutic toolbox under investigation in celiac disease." The team's findings open a path to drug development "that ultimately may blunt the unwanted immune reaction seen in celiac patients, thereby allowing these patients to adopt a more normal way of living," said Løset, founder and CEO of Nextera, the Oslo-based firm that makes the monoclonal antibody for celiac. For their study, Løset and his colleagues screened a human antibody library for antibodies that block immune cells that target gluten. Using information gathered in the process, they developed monoclonal antibodies that mimic this process. When inflamed gut tissue samples from patients with celiac disease were exposed to the modified antibodies, they blocked the immune response to gluten and did the same in lab mice, without interfering with other cell functions, according to the researchers. "We think our study points to an untapped potential which allows a clear path for drug makers to act upon building on well-recognized principles," added Løset. Read more in UPI Health News

Celiac.com 08/25/2021 - For people who are old, pregnant, or suffering from compromised immune systems, listeriosis is a serious food-borne illness that is fatal for about 20 percent of patients, even with antibiotic treatment. Now, Purdue University’s Arun Bhunia, a professor of food science, and postdoctoral researcher Rishi Drolia have created a new probiotic that could prevent infections in high-risk patients, and help make potentially deadly listeria infections a thing of the past. Their technology uses a bioengineered version of Lactobacillus, a bacterium common in the human gut, to block the pathway the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria use to cross intestinal wall cells into the bloodstream. Their special Lactobacillus bacteria "seeks out the same proteins as Listeria monocytogenes in the gut," says Bhunia, before attaching, and blocking the pathway for Listeria. According to Bhunia, “This could be included in probiotic yogurts, capsules or gummies and used as a preventive measure to treat people who are at high risk of infection.” When the team's special Lactobacillus probiotic was introduced to human gut cells and in mice, it easily colonized the intestine and attached to epithelial cells. Pathogenic Listeria was subsequently unable to attach to those gut cells and reach the bloodstream. This prevented infection in these patients. This study provides the first successful use of engineered probiotic strains to outcompete and reduce pathogen growth by binding to the receptor adhesion sites. The team's approach provides a pathway for the use of bioengineered probiotic bacteria to potentially treat numerous conditions, including other gut illnesses such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease, without raising serious health or regulatory concerns, say the authors. “We’ve seen evidence that the same proteins Listeria adheres to are overactive in these other illnesses,” Drolia said. “The probiotic has an anti-inflammatory effect and colonizes the gut for a week or more at a time. We’re interested in seeing how this could improve the lives of patients suffering from a variety of gut-related illnesses.” Bhunia has filed for a patent on the bioengineered Lactobacillus probiotic and foresees licensing the technology. Successful engineering of bacteria could see the technology expanded to fight other food-borne illnesses. The team is interested in applying this model to other pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella Read more in the Monticello Herald Journal

Celiac.com 05/25/2017 - No parent likes to see their child ill. This is most especially true of a newborn. The baby feels sick, perhaps has a fever, and often all they do is cry, look miserable and no one gets any sleep. So while we can all agree that it's no fun, could keeping your baby healthy actually prevent a lifetime of celiac disease? The answer is quite possibly 'yes' based on a recent study published in BioMed Central Pediatrics. The title of the study is: "Early infections are associated with increased risk for celiac disease: an incident case-referent study". [A case referent study is simply one where people with the disease to be studied are identified and compared to people in a control group who do not have that disease but are similar in other respects.] Specifically, the authors concentrated on the 'epidemic' of celiac disease present in Swedish children under two. Their goal was to discover any potential risk or protectant factors that could influence the expression of celiac disease. Nine hundred and forty five children participated in this study, 373 of whom had celiac disease, with the remainder making up the control group. All of those with the disease were diagnosed with it prior to their second birthday. The scientists discovered that if a child had 3 or more infections, regardless of type, during the first 6 months of life, their risk for contracting celiac disease was significantly increased. This risk remained stable after adjusting for variances in infants' feeding and socioeconomic status. Additionally, the risk of celiac disease was further increased if, in addition to the infections, the infants were introduced to gluten in large amounts, compared to small or medium amounts, after breastfeeding was discontinued. The authors concluded that there was actually a synergistic effect between early infections and daily gluten intake. That effect was more pronounced when the infants who were ingesting gluten, did so after breastfeeding was discontinued. So what is our take-away from this study? As a parent of a newborn, one certainly can control whether the infant is breastfed, and the benefits of doing so compared to any available formula seem irrefutable. Therefore, even if a mother is having some trouble nursing or with her milk production, it is well worth the effort to overcome whatever obstacles are present so her infant receives the benefits of nursing for at least 6 months. Personally I encourage a year, but 6 months would be the absolute minimum. Controlling whether or not your child becomes ill is certainly more difficult than ensuring he or she is breastfed, but I would like to share an interesting correlation that we see here at the clinic. Breastfed babies seem, on the whole, to be much healthier than formula fed babies. There is certainly considerable support in the research to support our clinical experience. You may have more control than you would imagine, simply by ensuring that your infant is nursed for as long as possible. The only further dietary recommendation I would suggest is that the infant's mother get checked for gluten intolerance during pregnancy or as soon as possible, and if she has any genetic markers for either celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, she should avoid all gluten (and dairy products) during the nursing months – both have been shown to lower the immune system. Finally, from a lifestyle viewpoint, it would perhaps be prudent to make the first 6 months or so of life as stress-free as possible. I know that some infants gain a passport and international travel experience well before their first birthday due to relatives in foreign lands or from out of state. While all families are excited to greet a new infant into the family, consider having the infant stay at home while others make the journey to meet him or her. This might very well prove to have long-term benefits for the child's health. I hope that you found this helpful. Unfortunately, celiac disease, much like so many other autoimmune diseases we are trying to avoid, continues to increase in frequency. Anything we can do to reduce the numbers of people suffering is well worth it. If you have any questions, comments, or would like to improve your health. Please contact me – call 408-733-0400. We are here to help! Reference: BioMed Central Pediatrics. 2012 Dec 19;12(1):194. Early infections are associated with increased risk for celiac disease: an incident case-referent study. Myléus A, et al.

Celiac.com 06/24/2010 - I have previously suggested vitamin D deficiency and the makeup of gut bacteria during pregnancy and infancy, while breast-feeding and prior to and during the introduction of gluten, may be factors leading to the onset of celiac disease. The question of how much vitamin D should be given to infants remains open. The current recommendation, by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is that children of all ages should receive 400 IU of vitamin D each day. A recent limited study of 74 diabetic children, however, suggests that this recommended dose may still be insufficient for most children. The children were given daily vitamin D doses ranging from 400 IU to 2000 IU over a 12-month period and their vitamin D status was monitored. Most of the children remained vitamin D insufficient or deficient at the end of the study. The study concluded that all children younger than 5 years should probably receive at least 1000 IU of vitamin D daily. Further study is needed, especially with specific emphasis on the onset and prevention of celiac disease during infancy. Source: Medscape Medical News - June 22, 2010: More Evidence That Current Pediatric Vitamin D Recommendation is Often Inadequate http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/723993