A Vaccine for Celiac Disease

Some encouraging news has come out of the research world.  A researcher from Australia has partnered up with a startup company in the US to develop a vaccine for Celiac Disease.  Nexpep Pty. Ltd. in Australia has identified the three parts of the gluten molecule that cause the body to react for most Celiacs.  The research was done by Dr. Bob Anderson, PhD., M.D.  at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne. 

To understand how this will work, it is necessary to know how other vaccines work.  The body had two sorts of immune respones - innate and acquired. The innate immunity we are born with and is very general. The acquired immunity is a result of environmental exposure to various antigens in our environment.  After exposure, your system builds up a defensive response that is specific to that substance (antigen).  With Celiac Disease there must be exposure to gluten along with an inherited mechanism that experiences gluten as a toxin. 

Allergy shots are based on the idea that exposing the immune system to tiny amounts of the antigen, will allow the system to become used to it and not mount an all out campaign against the substance - with all the side effects that usually come along with the response.  There are two gene complexes that produce the entities which cause the body to react to gluten.  One gene cluster is HLA-DQ2.  The majority of Celiac patients, ninety percent, have this gene.  There is another gene but it is less prevalent.  Dr. Anderson studied to see which parts of gluten caused the gene complex, HLA-DQ2 to get all riled up and start producing a way out response.  He decided to expose Celiac patients to tiny a amount of the gluten fragment to see if the body would calm down and not mount an all out defense. It worked.  Patients were given weekly, injections of miniscule amounts of the gluten fragment and there was no outsized reaction.  A biotech startup company,  ImmunsanT, was formed with American investment in order to continue testing the vaccine which is called Nexvax2.   ImmunsanT is also working with INOVA Diagnostics to develop better testing for Celiac Disease based on what they now know about these gluten fragments. Provided ImmunsanT is able to amass enough capital, testing will begin on Phase II. Phase II drug testing monitors tolerance and long-term effects.  While it is still in the testing stage the method holds really exciting promise. 

Be sure to check out Celiac Dietitian on Facebook