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Combined metabolome
and metagenomics
approach in coeliac disease;
understanding mechanisms
in people with coeliac
disease with and without
full symptomatic response
to the gluten-free diet
Some people with coeliac disease
continue to experience symptoms
despite being on a gluten-free diet.
In many cases the problem is thought
to be ongoing gluten ingestion, but
researchers at the University of
Warwickshire are more persuaded that
it is actually an individual’s gut bacteria
that may be causing this.
Emerging studies show that children
with coeliac disease have a different
gut bacterial profile compared to those
without coeliac disease but further work
is required to understand more in adults.
This project proposes that an
individual’s gut bacteria may predispose
them to lack of symptom improvement
when they’re following a gluten-free
diet. If this is the case, then there may
be potential to make modifications.
To explore the theory, researchers
will look at a group of people newly
diagnosed with coeliac disease before
they start treatment and then again,
six months after starting a gluten-free
diet. Participants in the study will be
asked to complete a questionnaire,
to determine their response to the
gluten-free diet, and to provide blood,
urine and faecal samples.
Genetic material recovered from
faecal samples will be analysed
(metagenomics) to identify the bacterial
profile. Chemicals produced by bacteria
will also be studied (metabolomics).
It is hoped that this project will
identify what constitutes a good
bacterial profile for people with coeliac
disease and provide some explanation
for why some people continue to
experience symptoms while following a
gluten-free diet.
Principal investigator:
Dr Ramesh Arasaradnam,
University of Warwick
High dimensional analysis of the mucosal immune system
in coeliac disease; towards personalised treatment
The severity of coeliac disease differs greatly between people which, in
part, is due to genetic differences. Variances in the response of immune
cells, associated with the damage to the the gut, may also explain individual
differences in disease severity.
For this project, biopsy samples from children and adults with coeliac
disease will be compared with samples from those without coeliac disease.
They will be analysed using novel technology already established in the
researcher’s laboratory.
It is anticipated that the results from this project will provide new
information on the involvement of specific immune cells, providing a greater
understanding of the development of the disease and possible prevention
strategies or new target areas for personal treatment.
Principal investigator
: Professor Frits Koning,
Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands
In addition to the three new projects funded from the main award process, a
small grant has been awarded to researchers at the University of Oxford. They
have developed a Coeliac Disease Assessment Questionnaire (CDAQ); many
of you were involved in its initial development. The CDAQ is a new patient
reported outcome measure (PROM). PROMs are considered to be increasingly
important in research and clinical practice to assess the impact of treatments
and/or healthcare provision.
The primary aim of the project is to further validate the newly developed
CDAQ. This will include testing its sensitivity to change by developing
a scoring system to meaningfully interpret data collected over a period
of time, such as assessing the effect of a gluten-free diet in newly diagnosed
patients or assessing the effectiveness of new treatments in clinical trials.
FURTHER INFORMATION
To find out more about the research we are funding, visit our website
