Gluten-free wheat? Gene editing brings us one step closer to developing an alternative for people with Celiac Disease

Scientists from the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and the University of the Basque Country in Spain demonstrate the potential of gene editing in developing wheat with low gluten content using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Their findings mark a significant breakthrough in producing gluten-free wheat in the market.

Wheat is one of the most widely cultivated crops and serves as a staple food for millions of people. A key component of wheat is gluten, a complex group of proteins that includes the α/β-, γ-, and ω-gliadins. While gluten is harmless for most people, gluten can cause health issues for individuals with Celiac Disease (CD), Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity (NCWS), and IgE-mediated food allergies which may require gluten-free foods in their diet.

In this study, the researchers take a step forward in producing gluten-free wheat by targeting the genes encoding for the γ- and ω-gliadins in wheat. The results of the study showed that the mutations were inherited by the offspring and the gluten content was reduced by up to 97.7%. When crossed with other CRISPR lines with reduced α-gliadins, these lines produced very low to no gluten content. In the future, the researchers aim to perform stimulation assays with peripheral blood mononuclear cells to gain insights into the immunogenic response in CD and NCWS patients.

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Tags: gluten-free, gluten, gene editing, wheat