A study recently done in mice shows that a very common virus, T1L may cause celiac disease. This goes along with many studies in the past, that viruses can alter the immune systems response to food. This virus when affected could trick the immune system into attacking the food molecules. Terence Dermody did the study at University of Pittsburgh. He found that the virus first blocks the immune systems regulatory response that tells the body the food molecules are safe. After that is blocked, the virus sends a harm inflammatory response. Individuals who are infected with celiac disease, their body sees gluten as a harmful substance and attack it. Dermody says there are more viruses than just the T1L virus that can manipulate the immune system. The key part is when the gluten cells meet the mesenteric lymph nodes. This is where the decision to attack or not happens. The virus effects these nodes and cells and makes them think that the gluten food molecules are dangerous. This article is very relevant to most people today. A lot of people have stopped eating gluten due to the fact that it makes them sick. This may lead to further knowledge on diagnosing celiac disease, and even preventing it.
Related article: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/356/6333/44
Article: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/common-virus-may-be-celiac-disease-culprit
This does not surprise me that viruses could cause celiac disease. Viruses pick up and mix up so much DNA that there is always something new that is going to become harmful to the population, while there are also some that could be beneficial.
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