Our Accomplishments Help People with Celiac Disease

The Univeristy of Maryland Center for Celiac Research has:

• Dramatically improved the quality of life for Celiac Disease patients by increasing the awareness of Celiac Disease among health care professionals and the general public.

• Created a sharp increase in the awareness of Celiac Disease by working with media outlets and organizations. Examples include: the Today Show, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal.

• In collaboration with the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, we published guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of children with Celiac Disease.

• Together with the Children’s Digestive Health & Nutrition Foundation, we produced a physician slide set, a nationwide grand rounds program, and a gluten-free diet guide for families.

• CFCR offers the best comprehensive clinical care for adults and children with Celiac Disease, including dietetic services.

• Spearheaded the largest epidemiology study ever performed in the US, resulting in more accurate prevalence data: instead of only 1 out 10,000, we now know the prevalence is 1 out of 133.

• Developed a diagnostic test (Ttg) for CD, which is implemented nationwide for diagnosing CD.

• Discovered Zonulin, a protein that appears to be involved in many disease states in which leakage occurs in the tight junctions including the GI tract, thus playing an important role in the treatment of Celiac Disease. 

• Interfaced with Alba Therapeutics to accelerate our goal to find an alternative treatment/cure for Celiac Disease.

• Developed new insights on Celiac Disease pathogenesis.

• Completed a case-finding study involving a network of 50 primary physicians that interviewed more than 2,000 patients with Celiac Disease. 

• Spearheaded the American Celiac Disease Alliance, formally American Celiac Task Force – which resulted in Congress passing a new food allergen labeling law, making it easier for patients with Celiac Disease to identify safe food items.

• Worked with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop the Celiac Consensus Conference as a result of our prevalence study.

• Created a Celiac Disease Fellowship Program to train the next generation of health care professionals.

• Created the International Run/Walk for Celiac Disease, which has raised over $1 million for national and local celiac awareness programs and research.

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