Rational design of combination enzyme therapy for celiac sprue

Chem Biol. 2006 Jun;13(6):649-58. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2006.04.009.

Abstract

Celiac sprue (also known as celiac disease) is an inheritable, gluten-induced enteropathy of the upper small intestine with an estimated prevalence of 0.5%-1% in most parts of the world. The ubiquitous nature of food gluten, coupled with inadequate labeling regulations in most countries, constantly poses a threat of disease exacerbation and relapse for patients. Here, we demonstrate that a two-enzyme cocktail comprised of a glutamine-specific cysteine protease (EP-B2) that functions under gastric conditions and a PEP, which acts in concert with pancreatic proteases under duodenal conditions, is a particularly potent candidate for celiac sprue therapy. At a gluten:EP-B2:PEP weight ratio of 75:3:1, grocery store gluten is fully detoxified within 10 min of simulated duodenal conditions, as judged by chromatographic analysis, biopsy-derived T cell proliferation assays, and a commercial antigluten antibody test.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Celiac Disease / enzymology*
  • Celiac Disease / immunology
  • Celiac Disease / pathology
  • Celiac Disease / therapy*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Separation
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases / genetics
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases / pharmacology
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Flavobacterium / enzymology
  • Flavobacterium / genetics
  • Glutens / chemistry
  • Glutens / immunology
  • Glutens / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Inactivation, Metabolic
  • Kinetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Myxococcus xanthus / enzymology
  • Myxococcus xanthus / genetics
  • Protein Precursors / genetics
  • Protein Precursors / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology

Substances

  • Epitopes
  • Protein Precursors
  • Glutens
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases