Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Researchers in the Nuffield Department of Medicine have found structures of immune cells in the gut that may be driving the response to gluten in people with coeliac disease. These findings could provide a target for future therapies.

Scientist using a microscope

The team included researchers from NDM’s Translational Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, the Experimental Medicine Division as well as the Centre for Human Genetics, and were supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). They found that many of these changes in the gut persisted despite treatment with a gluten-free diet, suggesting there may be an immune 'scar' in the gut, which could explain why some patients experience ongoing symptoms.

Read the full story on the NDM website.