CeliAct Project
Avoiding gluten is currently the only method for thwarting intestinal damage, relieving symptoms and prevent complications. But eating even the tiniest fraction of gluten immediately re-triggers symptoms and intestinal damage in most Celiac Disease patients. Moreover, around 30% Celiac Disease patients still have symptoms despite avoiding gluten, having no alternative treatment for their disease.
More than 100 pediatric and adult Celiac Disease patients and their first-degree relatives were recruited with the invaluable collaboration of Leiria Central Hospital Gastroenterology Service, the Portuguese Celiac Association and Beatriz Godinho Group Pathology Department.
Demographic information, concomitant medical history, symptoms, diet and other information pertinent to the subject’s health were also collected.
A second aim was to kick-off the biochemical characterization of gluten digestion, particularly gliadin, its most immunogenic fraction, with and without gut microbiota participation.
Funding Source
Research Team
CeliAct Project
Was led by
Sónia Gonçalves Pereira
Principal Investigator
Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology
Polytechnic of Leiria, Portugal
Daniela Cipreste Vaz
Co-Principal Investigator
Chemistry Center of Coimbra
University of Coimbra, Portugal
In collaboration with
Catarina Reis
Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology
Polytechnic of Leiria, Portugal
Elga Ferreira
Research Laboratory in Design and Arts
Polytechnic of Leiria, Portugal
And had as team members
Ana Isabel Roque
PhD student
Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology
Polytechnic of Leiria, Portugal
Vanessa Santos Domingues
PhD student
Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology
Polytechnic of Leiria, Portugal