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    Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    AT-1001 Shows Promise for those with Celiac Disease, But Likely not a Silver Bullet

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Celiac.com 05/27/2008 - People with celiac disease know all too well that the only effective treatment at present is faithfully following a gluten-free diet. There’s been a lot of talk about various therapies and enzyme treatments that would allow people with celiac disease to return to a normal diet. Talk to anyone who suffers from celiac disease and they’ll likely have a personal horror story about a time when they had an unhappy episode of cross-contamination.

    So, the idea of a drug that would prevent such symptoms is appealing, and the goal, desirable. The chief cause of recurring symptoms in celiac disease is accidental gluten exposure, usually through cross-contamination. Cross-contamination doesn’t always mean food. Gluten is a common ingredient in many medicines and vitamins, and exposure in celiacs can cause diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pain, anemia and oral ulcerations in the short-term, and myriad other problems in the long-run.

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    The drug AT-1001 is a good example of how the realities are playing out on the front-lines of science. AT-1001 is an enzyme therapy that has promised some degree of protection from gluten exposure in people with celiac disease.

    A team of researches recently set out to assess the effectiveness of AT-1001 in preventing gluten from crossing the gut barrier by reversing the defective barrier mechanism. This required evaluating intestinal permeability between those exposed to gluten after taking AT-1001, those exposed without AT-1001, and control groups. The of intestinal function is done by gauging the absorption rates of various sugars.

    Early testing of AT-1001 showed some progress and a significant rate of protection of celiac patients exposed to wheat proteins. The research team looked at 86 subjects with celiac disease. The patients were divided into three groups. The first group was given placebo AT-1011 and challenged with gluten, the second group was given either active or placebo AT-1001, while the third group was given gluten and active AT-1001.

    After the first week, all subjects showed improvement, possibly due to closer adherence to a gluten-free diet. At three weeks, those given AT-1001 showed substantial improvement over the group given gluten and placebo AT-1001, including reduced intestinal permeability and fewer symptoms of gluten toxicity.

    The problem is that while AT-1001 shows a degree of promise, the results are so far underwhelming. The research team noted that the degree of improvement did not match the primary study. The results are, however, strong enough to encourage researchers to conduct a larger trial of AT-1001, which is currently underway.

    It’s important to remember that celiac disease is an immune disorder and no immune disorder has ever been fully cured. So, the idea of people with celiac disease being able to take a pill and head out for a night of pizza and beer without the standard celiac-related reactions is far-fetched at best. At best, such drugs would likely help to prevent cross-contamination, rather than conveying immunity to gluten proteins.

    Until then, stay tuned…best of luck with the gluten-free diet!

    Presented by Dr. Leffler at the 2009 Digestive Disease Week on Tuesday, May 20 at 10:45 a.m. Pacific Time in room 10, San Diego Convention Center.



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    Guest Aunt Babe

    Posted

    Well, if my celiac aunt can go out and have grilled chicken, a salad with Gluten Free dressing, and a baked potato without getting sick by taking this drug then it's a winner in my book!!

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    Guest Joe Nelson

    Posted

    Great Article

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    Guest Bonnie M

    Posted

    I have been recently diagnosed with celiac disease. I don't have trouble as long as I'm eating what I fix, it's getting it by accident somewhere that scares me. I hope they perfect this soon!

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    Guest lildrmr2

    Posted

    I have had the celiac diagnosis for over 1 year now. If we go out I get sick. I'm only safe if we stay home. I look forward to this medication. Then I could pretend to eat normal.

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  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


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