Dr. Fasano's Research on Zonulin

[Polly]

The following is a summary of an article that appeared in the University of Maryland Medical Alumni Association "Bulletin" in spring, 2005, volume 89, No. 4.

Dr. Alessio Fasano, a world's foremost researcher of celiac disease, has found a way to prevent type I diabetes (an autoimmune disease) in rats who are genetically prone to develop the disease. This discovery could lead to the prevention/treatment of other autoimmune diseases too, like celiac disease or rheumatoid arthritis or maybe even MC!

The way in which the study prevented the onset of type I diabetes was by CHANGING THE PERMEABILITY OF THE INTESTINAL WALL. Earlier research by Dr. Fasano and team had led to the discovery of a human protein called "zonulin". It was found that zonulin regulates the permeability of the intestine by controlling the opening and closing of specialized structures that act like gates between cells. When the body produces too much zonulin, these gates get stuck open for too long and allow undigested foodstuff, toxins, and bacterial/viral particles to enter the immune system. This leads to the production of antibodies. These antibodies can then destroy the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas of folks genetically prone to develop type I diabetes, as well as destroy other organs/tissues affected by autoimmune disease.

Dr. Fasano found that zonulin is produced in very large amounts in people who suffer from autoimmune disorders such as type I diabetes, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. According to him, "these diseases are all characterized by an extremely permeable intestinal wall". With funding from the NIH, Dr. Fasano has developed a zonulin inhibitor peptide, called AT-1001, which prevents zonulin from regulating intestinal permeability. This peptide prevented the development of disease in the vast majority (73%) of the rats tested.

The research team is currently developing an oral medication containing AT-1001 and has plans to start clinical trials on humans with celiac disease as soon as FDA approval is granted. To think that an oral medication might be able to arrest autoimmune diseases in the early stages......WOW!