1% of humanity (450,000 Spaniards among them) can benefit from this advance, since it is estimated that this is the number of people who suffer from celiac disease, a genetic intolerance to gluten that damages the mucosa of the upper small intestine and damages the absorption of essential nutrients such as salts and vitamins.
Gluten is a mixture of proteins (gliadin and glutenin) present in the seeds of cereals such as flour, wheat and rye. ¿Why is it so important? The reason is that it gives elasticity to the flour dough and allows breads and baked doughs to be as fluffy as we like them.
Those responsible for this important achievement are scientists from the Sustainable Agriculture Institute of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), based in Córdoba, the University of Seville and the University of Minnesota.
Their bread is made with a genetically modified variety of wheat to reduce the amount of gliadins, the proteins that cause celiac disease, so that celiacs and other people with gluten intolerances could consume it without problems, if its production and commercialization can be started. .
Gene editors
The researchers, led by Francisco Barrio, from the CSIC’s Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, have used the novel technique of genetic editing to eliminate up to 90% of the gliadins in gluten.
To do this, they added genes that trigger RNA (ribonucleic acid) interference, a process that disrupts the synthesis of certain proteins such as glidine. But that does not prevent that synthesis from happening again, so Barrios and his team deactivated 35 of the 45 genes responsible for the emergence of gliadin. For this they used the CRISPR technique, which allows cutting any DNA sequence from the genome and inserting changes into it.
On the way to the bakery
Now the task of commercializing wheat bread from this genetic variety lies ahead. The British company Plant Bioscience Ltd. (PBL), which collaborates with the CSIC’s Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, is working with US investors to achieve this.
Jan Chojecki, CEO of PBL, told New Scientist magazine that this new wheat flour is not suitable for making loaves at the moment, but smaller baguettes, bars or rolls. He says the modified flour is being tested in Spain and Mexico with small groups of people with celiac disease, and the results are being positive.
An insidious and expensive disease
Diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue and malnutrition are some of the effects of celiac disease, which forces those who suffer from it to control their diet for life and which harms the normal development of children and adolescents.
In addition, it is also a problem for the pocket, since gluten-free products tend to be more expensive. According to the Federation of Celiac Associations of Spain, people with this disease spend an average of 127 euros more per month on eating, which is an extra cost of 1,524 euros per year. And it should be remembered that in many families there is more than one affected.
