Celiac Disease and Diabetes Unit

Our research

The overall purpose of our research is to uncover the genetic and environmental etiology of three autoimmune diseases – celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, and autoimmune thyroiditis. Specific autoantibody markers are used to predict the clinical onset of these three lifelong autoimmune diseases. Longitudinal studies of children at increased risk allow studies of the pathogenesis until clinical onset. Clinical studies are carried out in subjects with one or several autoantibodies as well as at the time of clinical diagnosis to prevent clinical onset. This is possible through ongoing screenings of large populations for the three autoimmune diseases. The long-term goal of our research is to develop new therapeutics that prevent individuals with ongoing autoimmunity from developing lifelong autoimmune disease.

Aims

• To identify gene-environmental interactions that result in an HLA-associated (human leukocyte antigen) appearance of autoantibodies.
• To develop screening protocols for the three autoimmune diseases to identify at-risk individuals from the general population.
• To recruit at-risk individuals to clinical trials that investigate  the three autoimmune diseases to prevent them from developing lifelong autoimmune disease. 

Impact

Our projects enable the studies of how common autoimmune diseases like celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, and autoimmune thyroiditis are predicted in the general population.

Based on results from our previous and ongoing projects, we will develop and test new strategies that prevent individuals at risk from getting lifelong autoimmune disease.

Research output

Link to a list of research output by the group in Lund University’s research portal

Team members

Link to a list of team members in Lund University’s research portal