FFAR Research Aims to Reduce Gluten Intolerance

DAVIS, Calif. – The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), California Wheat Commission, Celiac Disease Foundation and Kansas Wheat Commission are investing $990,000 into a Seeding Solutions grant with the goal of reducing the allergenicity of gluten in wheat while maintaining flour quality.

Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten, affects roughly two million Americans. Researchers led by Dr. Jorge Dubcovsky at the University of California, Davis, seek to reduce the presence of gluten proteins that trigger celiac disease, potentially lowering disease incidence and paving the way to wheat varieties that may one day be safe for individuals with gluten-triggered autoimmunity. Ultimately, this research aims to accelerate the development of wheat varieties with minimal potential to trigger allergic reactions.

This grant marks FFAR’s second investment in Dubcovsky’s pioneering wheat research, the foundation said. His earlier FFAR-funded work led to two breakthroughs:

• Increased Fiber, Same Great Taste: Dubcovsky increased dietary fiber in wheat by increasing amylose, a type of resistant starch, without sacrificing taste or baking quality.
• Deleting Wheat Proteins That Cause Allergies: Dubcovsky deleted a gene cluster in wheat that generates gluten proteins that can trigger immune reactions, while maintaining breadmaking quality.

Dubcovsky and his team are now targeting the complete elimination of the immunodominant epitopes, the specific sequences in gluten that trigger immune responses in people with celiac disease. Early results show that many of these proteins can be removed while preserving or even improving flour quality, especially gluten strength, which is key to desirable bread qualities like chewiness and a light and airy texture, the foundation said.

"Our recent results show that it is possible to use deletions to reduce wheat immunogenicity without compromising quality,” said Dubcovsky. “However, the use of deletions limits the number of toxic epitopes we can eliminate simultaneously. Gene editing (CRISPR) offers a more precise way to eliminate toxic epitopes without affecting favorable genes.  Increased public acceptance of this technology will accelerate our efforts to develop non-allergenic wheats."