A Promising Step Toward Safer Wheat for Celiac Disease
We are proud to share the results of a three-year study funded by the Celiac Disease Foundation, recently published in the journal Theoretical and Applied Genetics. Led by Dr. Jorge Dubcovsky, with Dr. Wenjun Zhang and doctoral student Maria Rottersman, this research conducted at the University of California, Davis, marks a major step forward in our efforts to reduce the risk and burden of celiac disease through innovation in agriculture.
The study focused on removing a specific group of gluten proteins – alpha-gliadins – from one region of the wheat genome (chromosome 6D). These proteins contain the majority of the gluten fragments known to trigger celiac disease in genetically predisposed individuals. Using precision breeding techniques, the researchers achieved this without introducing any foreign DNA – meaning this wheat is not genetically modified (GMO). Remarkably, removing them not only reduced these harmful components, but also improved gluten strength and bread-making quality.
It’s important to note that it isn’t yet known if this wheat is safe for those currently living with celiac disease, though it represents an important intermediate step. These wheat lines can now be used in further research to understand whether reducing these harmful gluten proteins may lower the risk of developing celiac disease in the first place.
To build on this success, the Celiac Disease Foundation is now co-funding the next phase of research with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR). This next stage will explore additional wheat proteins that contribute to immunogenicity and how they can be safely addressed while continuing to focus on maintaining wheat quality.
We are grateful to our donors and research partners for making this critical work possible. Together, we are accelerating the science that will transform how we understand, prevent, and one day eliminate celiac disease.
Learn more from one of the authors, Maria Rottersman:
Please tell us about yourself and your background in celiac disease research. What drew you to the field of celiac disease research?
My name is Maria, and I am a third year PhD student in plant biology studying the wheat genes and proteins responsible for eliciting celiac disease. When I started my PhD, I knew that I wanted to study plant genetics in agriculture and that I had an interest in sustainability and human health. When I found out about Dr. Jorge Dubcovsky’s lab and his collaboration with the Celiac Disease Foundation, I knew that this was a great fit for me. Not only am I able to study plant genetics in a way that can help people, but I am doing so in wheat, which is a global staple with cultural significance for my family and many others.
Can you share an overview of your current research project?
Gluten is the major protein component of wheat, and people around the world have depended on it for nutrition for thousands of years. Gluten is also important for the unique qualities of wheat flour that sets it apart from other grains, like its elasticity (think of how stretchy wheat dough can get during baking). However, now we also know that people with celiac disease have difficulty processing gluten in their guts, and wheat is not safe to eat for them. In our research, we are breeding wheat to see which gluten-encoding genes we can get rid of while still producing a high-quality product for farmers. We also want to explore how gluten causes immune responses in celiac disease patients and see whether we can alter the structure of gluten so that it can still be used in food without posing a danger to those with intolerances.
We have two major goals in our research. One is to create wheat with lots of gene deletions that will not cause celiac disease, but this wheat will not be commercially viable for farmers to grow. Instead, we can use this wheat to do experiments to better understand what we can do to improve wheat quality without causing immune reactions. Our other objective is to make a wheat variety that is missing a lot of gluten genes but still has some that are important for quality. Our hope is that this breeding line will be less triggering for families who are more likely to develop celiac disease and a great choice for farmers who need to maintain gluten quality.
What is innovative/essential about your research?
While a lot of scientific research seeks to tackle the burden of celiac disease from the perspective of the patient, we are trying to reframe the challenge around wheat itself. If we can make wheat safer for those who are genetically predisposed to celiac disease, we may be able to prevent or delay the onset of symptoms. Our methods require collaboration between plant scientists, immunologists, growers, and food scientists, and we hope that as more people buy-in, we will be able to amplify the positive impact of our research.
What is the potential impact of your research on celiac disease understanding, treatment, and patient quality of life?
Some studies show that increased gluten consumption is correlated to the onset of celiac disease. This means that if our reduced-immunogenicity breeding lines are adapted by growers, we can reduce exposure to gluten at a population level and may prevent or delay celiac disease in patient families.
What message would you like to convey to individuals and families affected by celiac disease?
As scientists from different research areas come together to understand how celiac disease works, we are learning so much! Just a few decades ago, the treatment for celiac disease was a banana-based diet — look how far we have come. This disease is very complicated, but as we shine light on the science behind it, we are getting closer to alleviating the burden of the disease. Researchers care about you, and we are grateful for your continued support.