The vaccine against celiac disease is currently being tested

People with celiac disease will soon be able to safely consume gluten, thanks to a new vaccine currently being tested around the world.

The vaccine, called Nexvax2, targets the immune system to halt the inflammation that usually occurs when people with celiac disease consume gluten. It was tested for the first time in 2011, during the initial testing phase, and proved to be safe.

Massachusetts-based Nexvax2 producer, ImmusanT, received $ 40 million in funding in 2017, which allowed it to continue its research on the vaccine. The second series of tests will begin in Melbourne, before being broadcast in other Australian cities. ImmusanT hopes to recruit 150 patients from the United States, Australia and New Zealand in this trial.

"The vaccine is designed to target 90% of patients with celiac disease who have the genetic form of HLA-DQ2," said Dr. Jason Tye-Din, Head of Celiac Disease and Gastroenterologist Research at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. , said the Sydney Morning Herald. "Effective treatment that could restore normal gluten tolerance would revolutionize the management of celiac disease."

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At present, there is no treatment for celiac disease – the only option is to totally remove gluten. While health-conscious people tended to eat gluten over the last decade, the protein poses a serious risk to their small intestines and causes diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting.

Nexvax2 does not immediately allow celiac sufferers to eat gluten. The vaccine will slowly develop immunity against the proteins contained in the gluten and put an end to the negative side effects.

"With this study, we plan to build new knowledge that will enhance our ability to demonstrate specific suppression of the immune response to gluten epitopes and the associated effects of celiac disease," said Dr. Ken Truitt, Medical Director of Immusant. , told BeyondCeliac.org.