Researchers from the University of California-Davis may have found a way to make wheat safer for those with celiac disease and improve the overall quality of gluten-free bread.

Wheat contains proteins called gliadins and glutenins that are important for making dough strong and elastic, but they also contain certain parts (called epitopes) that can trigger celiac disease in some people. The amount and length of time a person is exposed to these harmful epitopes can influence whether they develop celiac disease.

In a new preprint, a research team, led by Dr. Jorge Dubcovsky and Dr. Wenjun Zhang, found that by removing specific sections of wheat’s DNA, they could reduce these harmful epitopes without negatively affecting the wheat’s ability to make good bread. One particular deletion, called Δgli-D2, removed major harmful epitopes, which not only made the wheat safer for people with celiac disease but also made the dough stronger and better for breadmaking. The Δgli-D2 deletion didn’t affect the wheat’s yield or protein content, making it a promising option for producing wheat that is both better for baking and safer for people at risk of celiac disease.

Additionally, this new type of wheat could help reduce the number of people who develop celiac disease by lowering the amount of potentially harmful proteins in their diet.

Dr. Dubcovsky indicated that this is a “first step in a longer project to gradually reduce the amount of harmful epitopes in wheat. There are more than 50 proteins with these epitopes that are concentrated in nine regions of the wheat chromosomes. Using small deletions and gene editing, we are “cleaning” each of these regions with the objective of combining them in the near future.”

The Celiac Disease Foundation awarded a research grant to the Dubcovsky Lab to support the ongoing development of these celiac-safe wheat varieties. This funding will accelerate the creation of commercially viable wheat for bread and pasta that can be enjoyed by those with celiac disease. The Foundation’s investment underscores the critical importance of advancing research that can transform the lives of millions affected by this chronic autoimmune disease.

“We are incredibly excited about the progress being made toward producing celiac-safe wheat, but we recognize that there is still much research ahead of us,” said Marilyn Geller, CEO of the Celiac Disease Foundation. “While we may be years away from developing commercially viable wheat strains that are truly safe for those with celiac disease, the Celiac Disease Foundation is committed to investing in groundbreaking research that has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for our community.” 

Read more at: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.19.604379v1   

This is a republished August 2024 blog post from Meghan Donnelly, MS, RD, director of health communications at the Celiac Disease Foundation. The Celiac Disease Foundation is a leading global patient advocacy organization committed to accelerating diagnosis, treatments, and a cure for celiac disease. Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of the millions of individuals around the world affected by this genetic autoimmune disease. Learn more at www.celiac.org.