CeliAct project aims to characterize celiac disease in Portugal, to create a biobank of serum and stool samples from celiac patients and their families and to study the immunogenic portions of gluten to contribute to the future development of a treatment that protects celiac patients from the attack of their immune system when stimulated by gluten.

Celiac disease is the only autoimmune disease in which its trigger, gluten (present in wheat, rye, barley and oats) is known.

However, only 10% of the genetically susceptible people develop the disease and some of these people even have positive antibodies but remain asymptomatic. Studying their intestinal microbiota is the next step in this exploratory project.

Keywords: Celiac Disease, Gluten digestion biochemistry, Microbiota  

Principal Investigator: Sónia Gonçalves Pereira

Research Team

• ciTechCare: Ana Isabel Roque; Vanessa Santos Domingues
•  School of Health Sciences (ESSLei): Daniela Cipreste Vaz (co-PI);

Duration: 18 months (2019 – 2021)

Institutional Partners and Others

• Unidade Local de Saúde da Região de Leiria, E.P.E.
• University of Coimbra

Funding: Maratona da Saúde – 5th edition – Autoimmune diseases and Allergies