The gliadin-CFTR connection: new perspectives for the treatment of celiac disease

Familial loss-of-function mutations of the gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channel protein cause cystic fibrosis (CF), the most frequent inherited life-threatening disease in the Caucasian population. A recent study indicates that the gluten/gliadin-derived peptide (P31–43) can cause CFTR inhibition in intestinal epithelial cells, thus causing a local stress response that contributes to the...