PLoS ONE Recognizes Helmerhorst for GSDM Research
An article on GSDM Associate Professor Dr. Eva Helmerhorst’s research was recently published in PLoS ONE. The article titled, “Identification of Rothia Bacteria as Gluten-Degrading Natural Colonizers of the Upper Gastro-Intestinal Tract,” explains developments that have been made in her research which is currently funded by an R01 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for five years at just over $2 million total. She was awarded this grant in June 2010.
In 2010, Dr Helmerhorst published an article on the discovery that oral microbes possess the capability to degrade dietary gluten. This was significant because gluten proteins are implicated in celiac disease.
Dr. Helmerhorst said, “Patients with celiac disease develop an inflammatory immune response in the small intestines upon the intake of gluten. Gluten degradation with enzymes is one therapeutic approach by which gluten could be fragmented into smaller, non-toxic peptides.”
Her recent research has taken this discovery one step further by identifying the Rothia species in dental plaque as microorganisms that are highly effective in cleaving gluten, including domains that are otherwise indigestible by mammalian digestive enzymes.
Dr. Helmerhorst explained, “The bacteria are natural colonizers of the gastro-intestinal tract and hence are attractive candidates for pre-clinical evaluations as a dietary supplement, or probiotic applications.”
She continued, “There is currently no therapy for celiac disease. The only treatment option available is elimination of gluten from the diet. Development of a safe and effective food additive that would allow ingestion of moderate amounts of gluten would represent a breakthrough and clear improvement of the quality of life for this patient group.”
Dr. Helmerhorst’s future studies will be aimed at the isolation, cloning, and optimization of enzymes from those oral microorganisms that show gluten-degrading activities, as well as probiotic development.
She is the Principal Investigator and primary writer of this study. She was assisted in her research by Assistant Research Professor Dr. Guoxian Wei, Maram Zamakhchari, and Jaeseop Lee, as well as senior contributors Drs. Floyd Dewhirst, Detlef Schuppan and Frank Oppenheim.
The full article on Dr. Helmerhorst’s research is available at PLoSONE.org.