News for Celiac Awareness Month
Important research about inverse vaccines, protein editing, & kissing!
Have you heard about the competition between May and October? Both claim to be Celiac Awareness Month. I can’t tell you which one has the better case, but I personally welcome any and all excuses for increased news coverage about celiac disease.
Lately, there’s been a lot of research that’s worth noting, so I’m giving you my scientific round-up here. I’d also like to wish my American readers all the best for Memorial Day weekend. I’ll be away next week, so I’ll see you again on June 5th!
“‘Rogue’ Immune Cells Explain Why a Gluten-Free Diet Fails in Some Celiac Patients”: This news story in Technology Networks is based on studies at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia (read the Garvan Institute’s news release here). I hear a lot about people who’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease, switch to a strict gluten-free diet, and yet still experience celiac symptoms. There are several reasons why this can happen, but the Garvan Institute’s research proves that certain immune cells in the gut can contain genetic mutations, and that those rogue cells cause inflammation. This research should help with treatment options — existing drugs known as JAK inhibitors are being studied as a possible fix for this issue.
“‘Inverse Vaccines’: The Promise of a ‘Holy Grail’ Treatment for Autoimmune Diseases”: David Kohn, writing in the UK newspaper The Guardian, reports that researchers have taken a bold new approach to autoimmune diseases. Normally, vaccines work with an amplifying effect, but these ‘inverse vaccines’ suppress a particular part of the immune system. The research was first published by Stephen Miller of Northwestern University in Chicago in 2022, and research at other universities since has shown the potentially far-ranging benefits of the discovery. This could be a game-changer for people with any autoimmune illness, not just celiac disease.
“Protein Editing Food Could Alleviate Gluten Sensitivity, Study Finds. Here’s How”: This story is WILD. Writing in The Bellingham Herald, Irene Wright reports that research led by the University of California, Davis, has found gluten intolerance could be alleviated — and perhaps even prevented — by genetically modifying wheat. Researchers used targeted gamma radiation to remove the protein gliadin in normal wheat plants. (No Bruce Banner/Incredible Hulk jokes, please.) Afterwards, they took the seeds of the altered plants, brought them to the California Wheat Commission quality lab, grew new plants, and baked bread with the altered wheat. The bread is amazing, by all accounts, though not considered celiac-safe by researchers. Still, it’s an intriguing area of research. (Here’s the UC Davis news release.)
“Can You Kiss Someone Who Just Ate Gluten If You Have Celiac Disease? A Study Says Yes”: Finally, research on this extremely important topic! Kaitlin Sullivan reports for NBC News that new research shows that it’s likely safe for someone who’s eaten gluten to kiss their celiac partner, so long as they first drink four ounces of water. The research was conducted by Anne Lee, an assistant professor of nutritional medicine at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University in New York City, but it has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. I’ve written before about quality-of-life issues around celiac disease, and handling dating — or life with a non-celiac partner — is a big deal.
“Celiac Awareness Month 2025”: Are you on the mailing list for Beyond Celiac’s newsletter? If not, you’ll want to join, and there’s no better time than now. In addition to information about the latest research, there are events like the virtual town hall on May 28th and in-person events in Boston and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
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