Gut protists and celiac disease
Role of gut protists in celiac disease
Looking at whether tiny single-celled organisms in the gut change how people with celiac disease react to gluten.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285168 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study how gut protists (single-celled organisms) influence the immune cells in the intestine that normally keep reactions to food calm. They will compare samples from people with and without celiac disease and use laboratory models to see how protists change responses to gluten. The team will focus on immune pathways known to go wrong in celiac disease, including cells that control tolerance and inflammatory signals like IL-15. Results will help link changes in the gut ecosystem to the abnormal gluten response seen in celiac disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with celiac disease or people at higher genetic risk (HLA DQ2/DQ8), especially those willing to give stool or intestinal biopsy samples, would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without celiac disease or those seeking immediate treatment effects are unlikely to get direct clinical benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to restore tolerance to gluten or prevent immune flares in people with celiac disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies showed that viruses and inflammation can disrupt oral tolerance in celiac disease, but directly studying gut protists in this context is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hinterleitner, Reinhard — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Hinterleitner, Reinhard
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.