Mission

 

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic intestinal disorder affecting as much as 1.0% of the population. However, about 85% of patients are not properly diagnosed. If recognised, patients have only limited access to safe foods and there is no causal therapy available. By incorporating leaders from academia, patient organisations, and industry, the Celiac Disease Consortium (CDC) forms a network to generate the scientific basis for innovative improvements to the quality of life of CD patients.
 
It is the mission of the Celiac Disease Consortium to develop the scientific basis for safer foods and for effective diagnosis, prevention and therapy of Celiac Disease.

 

In the past years this had led to the identification of new genetic markers that are linked to disease development, the development of an improved prognostic kit, a kit for the detection of toxic gluten fragments in food, novel safe foods for patients and proof of principle for a novel enzyme based therapeutic approach. We now aim to translate the achievements to the benefit of patients and society. Therefore, a substantial part of the effort will be on translational research and the development of actual applications. To insure optimal implementation of “care and cure” for CD patients, the CDC will initiate, support and be an active partner in the Celiac Disease Expertise Center (CDEC). In addition, the CDC will continue to perform basic research that will form the basis for novel valorisation targets in the future and further embedding of the research within the participating universities and industries.