Could Celiac Be Caused by a Virus?

Could Celiac Be Caused by a Virus?

Top of Mind with Julie Rose

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  • May 8, 2017 11:00 pm
  • 12:38 mins

Guest: Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, Professor in the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Director of Research at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center It's estimated that between a third and a half of Americans have a genetic predisposition for celiac disease, which causes severe reaction to gluten. But only about one percent of the total US population actually has celiac disease. So why do some people with the gene get it, but most don’t?  Researchers at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center have found a clue in the form of a virus that is typically harmless to humans, but manages to reprogram some people's immune systems so they treat gluten like an enemy. The study appeared recently in the journal "Science."