Research update: Adaptive immune responses

Unravelling innate and adaptive immune responses to gluten in coeliac disease: implications for new therapies

Dr Sonia Quaratino, University of Southampton

Summary
Coeliac disease is caused by the ingestion of gluten in individuals who have a particular genetic background. The only treatment for coeliac patients is a life-long gluten-free diet, but this is not always an easy option as all coeliac patients or parents with coeliac children will know. Moreover a gluten-free diet is not a therapy as reintroduction of gluten in the diet triggers a rapid relapse of the symptoms.

In the last few years the scientific progress in coeliac disease, and thus the understanding of how coeliac disease is triggered, has been gigantic. The work of many scientists has provided a map of coeliac disease and with this map it may be possible to devise novel ways to treat coeliac disease. At the centre of coeliac disease there is the activation of particular type of white cells: the T lymphocyte. T lymphocytes are components of the so called 'adaptive' immune system. It has been demonstrated that gluten also induces the activation of the 'primordial' immune system, the so called 'innate' immune system. We have also demonstrated that the pre-activation of the innate immune system decides how the adaptive immune system will recognise gluten.

The aim of the present study is to further define the modality of activation of the innate immune system by gluten and ultimately devise new ways to fool gluten recognition by the immune system thus potentially providing alternative therapies for coeliac patients.