ABC national medical reporter, Sophie Scott, reports on the commencement of the world-first coeliac vaccine trial in Melbourne.
Currently the only treatment for coeliac disease is a lifelong and strict diet free of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Coeliac sufferer Jane Davies says following a strict gluten free diet can be complex and challenging.
Researchers at Melbourne's Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have identified the critical fragments of gluten causing the toxic reaction in coeliac patients. They have now used this knowledge to design a coeliac vaccine.
Dr Jason Tye-Din, a gastroenterologist and consulting scientist for Nexpep, said the coeliac vaccine’s aim is to switch off the abnormal response to gluten seen in coeliac disease. This would stop the damage caused by gluten and allow the small bowel to heal and absorb nutrients properly.
He said if successful, it may “allow people to return to a normal gluten-containing diet” and would “significantly enhance the life of patients with coeliac disease".
The initial trial will involve 40 patients with coeliac disease and is designed to tell researchers whether the vaccine is safe and if there are any side-effects.
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