Celiac Disease and the Potential of Stems Cells as Treatment

Abstract

Celiac disease is characterized by having a broad spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from asymptomatic cases to classical gastrointestinal manifestations of disease and cases of severe progression in refractory celiac disease and the development of certain types of cancers. The age of onset of disease also varies greatly, with genetics, environmental and immunological factors. While this autoimmune disease currently affects 1% of Western populations, cases have been increasing globally due to presence of gluten in westernized diets and improved diagnostic testing and awareness. The only current treatment for celiac disease is a strict lifelong adherence to a gluten free diet; however, patient reports suggest they are not satisfied with quality of life and clinical improvement involving only dietary treatment and future routes of treatment should be explored. The overall lack of understanding of a complex model of this disease has led to notable obstacles when conducting clinical trials investigating future treatments. Stem cells play a crucial role in the human body as they could help regulate inflammation that is often associated with autoimmune disorders by regenerating and differentiating into several different cell types. Mesenchymal stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells are highly proliferating, while mesenchymal stem cells can cross the HLAQ barrier and prevent an adverse immunological response in patients. For this reason, stem cells, especially mesenchymal stem cells, are prime candidates for investigation of future treatments designed with a goal of restoring the epithelial barrier and preventing villous atrophy while reducing inflammation.