Chugai's DONQ52 Shows Promise in Non-Clinical Research for Celiac Disease Treatment

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By Jefferson Adams

March 4
By Jefferson Adams • March 4

Chugai's DONQ52 Shows Promise in Non-Clinical Research for Celiac Disease Treatment

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Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

Chugai Pharmaceutical publishes non-clinical research results on DONQ52 for celiac disease.

Caption:
Army scientists. by U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Celiac.com 03/04/2024 - Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has announced significant strides in the development of a potential treatment for celiac disease with their novel multi-specific antibody, DONQ52. The company recently announced that the non-clinical research results on DONQ52 have been published in Nature Communications, a prestigious multidisciplinary scientific journal. This milestone represents a significant step forward in the quest to find effective therapies for celiac disease, a condition currently without approved treatment options.

DONQ52, discovered by Chugai, has shown promise in selectively inhibiting the immune response to gluten, a key component in the pathology of celiac disease. Through advanced antibody engineering technologies, DONQ52 was designed to target and neutralize multiple gluten peptides in complex with HLA-DQ2.5, a genetic marker strongly associated with celiac disease.

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The research findings published in Nature Communications outline the potential of DONQ52 to effectively inhibit gluten-dependent T-cell activation, a crucial step in the immune response cascade that leads to intestinal damage in celiac disease. Notably, DONQ52 demonstrated broad and selective recognition of over 25 distinct pathogenic gluten peptides, indicating its versatility and potential as a therapeutic agent.

The Goal is to Develop a Therapy that can Provide Relief to Individuals Living with Celiac Disease

Dr. Osamu Okuda, President and CEO of Chugai, expressed optimism about the future of DONQ52 in celiac disease treatment. He highlighted the ongoing Phase I clinical study, which aims to assess the safety and efficacy of DONQ52 in patients with celiac disease. The ultimate goal is to develop a therapy that can provide relief to individuals living with celiac disease, addressing an unmet medical need in the field.

“We are very pleased to announce that that the results of basic research on a multi-specific antibody DONQ52 discovered by our company have been published in Nature Communications. Although technical hurdles have prevented practical use to date, our non-clinical study shows that specific and broad inhibition of HLA-T cell interactions is a useful therapeutical approach for celiac disease,” said Dr. Okuda.

As the Phase I study progresses, Chugai remains committed to advancing the development of DONQ52 and leveraging their expertise in antibody engineering to explore new possibilities in celiac disease therapy. With continued research and innovation, DONQ52 has the potential to offer hope and improved quality of life for those affected by celiac disease.

Stay tune for more on this and related stories.

Read more at chugai-pharm.co.jp
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Grlybrainiac and Russ H

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Russ H 164

Posted March 4

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The paper is currently freely available:

Characterizations of a neutralizing antibody broadly reactive to multiple gluten peptide:HLA-DQ2.5 complexes in the context of celiac disease

Grlybrainiac

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Oldturdle 31

Posted March 8

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What are "multiple gluten peptides?" I thought gluten was gluten, one distinct molecule.

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RMJ 498

Posted March 8

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4 hours ago, Oldturdle said:

What are "multiple gluten peptides?" I thought gluten was gluten, one distinct molecule.

Proteins and peptides are made of amino acids, the difference is the total size. Gluten is a large protein molecule. It is partially digested into smaller pieces, which are then called peptides. One of the reasons that gluten causes trouble for those of us with celiac disease is that our body can’t digest it all the way down to the amino acids.

knitty kitty and Oldturdle

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Oldturdle 31

Posted March 10

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Helpfull! Thank you. I am asuming "normal" people can digest gluten all the way down to the amino acids. That is probably what Gliadenx does.

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RMJ 498

Posted March 10

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39 minutes ago, Oldturdle said:

Helpfull! Thank you. I am asuming "normal" people can digest gluten all the way down to the amino acids. That is probably what Gliadenx does.

Actually, even normal people don’t digest gluten all the way down to amino acids. I wasn’t clear. But normal people don’t have trouble with the gliadin peptides.

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About Me

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.

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