For roughly one in every hundred people, food containing even the smallest amounts of gluten can deliver a gutful of hurt.

While a domino effect of immunological reactions can be traced back to their genetic roots, a number of contributing factors are also involved, making it difficult to map the precise chain of events that causes a reaction to gluten to emerge.

Using transgenic mice, an international team led by scientists from McMaster University in Canada has identified a crucial role played by the very cells making up the gut’s lining, describing a major stepping stone that could lead to new therapies.

Celiac disease is in essence an autoimmune disorder triggered by the presence of a group of structural proteins known as gluten in the intestines.

Eating virtually anything made with wheat, barley, or rye – meaning most baked goods, breads, and pastas – puts people with the condition at risk of bloating, pain, diarrhea, constipation, and sometimes reflux and vomiting.

Currently the only way to avoid the symptoms is to avoid the foods that trigger them. Knowing the types of tissue involved and their enhancement by the presence of inflammatory microbes gives researchers a new list of targets for future treatments, potentially allowing millions of people worldwide to enjoy a gluten-filled pastry or two without the risk of discomfort.

Shared from: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-finally-identified-where-gluten-reactions-begin