Digestive Diseases News
Fall 2008

NIH-supported Researcher Developing Celiac-safe Wheat Varieties

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a 4-year, $837,000 grant to Washington State University researcher Diter von Wettstein, Ph.D., D.Sc., to further his work on developing wheat varieties that people with celiac disease can safely eat.

Celiac disease is an immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. An estimated 1 percent of all Americans suffer from celiac disease, though many have never been diagnosed and are not receiving treatment.

Von Wettstein and his research team have discovered a mutant form of barley that lacks gliadin-type proteins. Gliadin is the component of gluten that triggers the abnormal immune reaction of celiac disease. The discovery paves the way for development of gliadin-free wheat varieties.

In support of its research, the Washington State University team is partnering with the biotech company Arcadia Biosciences to identify specific gene mutations that affect gliadin-type proteins.

The NIH Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign provides current, comprehensive, science-based information about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of celiac disease, also known as celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy. For more information about celiac disease and related research, visit www.celiac.nih.gov.

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NIH Publication No. 09–4552
December 2008