Celiac disease (CD) is a common, food-related inflammatory disorder of the small intestine caused by the ingestion of gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. Celiac disease occurs practically worldwide, with a prevalence of 1% in Western countries.
In children celiac disease causes diarrhea and malabsorption which can lead to growth retardation. In adults, the spectrum of symptoms is wider including chronic fatigue, headache, bowel complaints, reduced fertility, miscarriage, dermatitis herpetiformis, osteoporosis, and even, in rare cases, intestinal cancer (lymphoma). A lifelong gluten-free diet is the only treatment presently available.
Celiac disease frequently remains undiagnosed, but if diagnosed, patients may find it difficult to stick to a gluten-free diet: appropriate food can be expensive, difficult to obtain and unpalatable. The diagnosis not only has implications for the patient, but, given the strong genetic linkage, also for family members. For all of these reasons, improved diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease would be of considerable benefit. That is reflected in the mission of the Celiac Disease Consortium:
The Celiac Disease Consortium (CDC) aims at establishing a firm scientific basis for the development of safer foods and more effective diagnosis, prevention and treatment of celiac disease. CDC uses functional genomics to elucidate the interaction between the disease-inducing dietary proteins and the human host at a molecular level.
Research by the CDC in the past years has produced encouraging results: the identification of new genetic markers that are linked to disease development; the development of an improved prognostic kit;
a kit for the detection of toxic gluten fragments in food; novel safe foods for patients and proof of principle for a novel enzyme based therapeutic approach.
The CDC now aims to translate these achievements to the benefit of patients and society. Therefore, a substantial part of the effort will be devoted to translational research and the development of actual applications. To insure optimal implementation of “care and
cure” for CD patients, the CDC will initiate, support and be an active partner in the Celiac Disease Expertise Center (CDEC).
In addition, the CDC continues to perform basic research that will form the basis for novel valorisation targets in the future and for further embedding of the research within the participating universities and industries.
Additional information
Celiac Disease Consortium factsheet
Website
www.celiac-disease-consortium.nl