Gluten intolerant people ingest it without realizing it, even when following a restrictive diet. Finnish researchers have just developed a drug that fights against the effects of this accidental consumption.
It is impossible to eat 100% gluten-free. Researchers have shown this in a study published last month. They found that, on average, people with intolerance consume between 150 and 400 milligrams of gluten per day without their knowledge. This can make celiac disease symptoms last and even make them worse.
Finnish researchers at the University of Tampere are experimenting with a treatment to desensitize people with gluten intolerance. It would only act in the event of accidental ingestion as part of a gluten-free diet. The results will be featured during Digestive Disease Week (DDW), which takes place June 2-5 in Washington, DC.
It is the gliadin contained in gluten that is responsible for the disease. When a gluten intolerant person consumes it, it causes inflammatory reactions in their intestinal wall. The celiac patient digests less well and may eventually be the victim of nutritional deficiencies, anemia or in the most serious cases of digestive cancer.
The efficacy of the AMG 714 antibody
Researchers studied the effects of AMG 714, an antibody known to work on interleukin 15, a protein linked to gluten intolerance. Study participants received six injections of this drug over twelve weeks and at two dosage levels: 150 and 300 mg. Some of them also received a dose of 2.5 grams of gluten per day for ten weeks.
For all, intestinal inflammation and intestinal disorders decreased after the trial period. For patients who received an overdose of gluten, the drug did not completely prevent the development of damage to the intestinal lining. Scientists have found that the drug is most effective when administered in a dose of 300 mg. No worrying side effects were identified, however some participants experienced pain during the injections, headaches or upper respiratory tract infections.
The origins of the disease are still poorly understood
Gluten intolerance affects around 1% of the French population. For now, science is struggling to understand the exact origin of the disease. Genetic factors partly explain it. According to the Health Insurance, 95% of affected people carry one or two of the genes predisposing to the disease. Women are also more concerned: on average for an affected man, there are three sick women.
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