Gluten Intolerance: Mechanism Revealed

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Munichbread, pasta, beer - such grain-containing foods cause stomach ache for many people - they are overly sensitive to the gluten contained in them. So far there is no drug that increases tolerability. This leaves those affected only with strict abstinence.

Danish researchers have now uncovered the molecular mechanism behind the stomach ache: "This opens up completely new possibilities for drug therapy," says study leader Prof. Thomas Jørgensen.

Activated immune defense

Gluten intolerance is one of the so-called autoimmune diseases. The adhesive protein activates the body's immune system. It then forms antibodies that attack a special enzyme in the body that Transglutaminase 2.

Transglutaminase 2 is a protein in the intestinal mucosa. It processes the glutamine contained in gluten. If it is attacked by the antibodies, the intestinal lining becomes inflamed. The consequences are abdominal cramps and diarrhea, and in the long term the mucous membrane is so destabilized and changed that it can no longer channel sufficient nutrients into the body.

Changeable enzyme

In laboratory experiments, Jørgensen and his colleagues have found out more about the interaction between antibodies and enzymes. “We gained insight into how the antibodies react when they hit the enzyme. We also know how the enzyme changes its structure under different conditions. ”And this is exactly where new drugs could have an influence.

According to the German Society for Celiac Disease, at least one in 500 people in Germany cannot tolerate gluten. However, 80 to 90 percent of them have atypical or no symptoms and therefore usually do not know anything about their disease. However, only 10 to 20 percent of those affected have the full picture of celiac disease. (cf)

Source: Rasmus Iversen et al: Activity-regulating structural changes and autoantibody epitopes in transglutaminase 2 assessed by hydrogen / deuterium exchange, doi: 10.1073 / pnas.1407457111

Tags:  prevention teenager Menstruation