K.G. Jebsen Coeliac Disease Research Centre

The centre endeavours to find new treatment methods for celiac disease that can be used in addition to, and in the long-term perhaps even replace, a gluten-free diet. The centre, which is under the leadership of Professor Ludvig M Sollid, comprises four research groups. Three of the research groups are based at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital-Rikshospitalet, while one is located at the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands.

Celiac disease is an intestinal disease that affects one to two per cent of Norway’s population. Hereditary factors play a role in the development of the disease. For reasons we do not fully understand, people with a hereditary susceptibility can experience an immune response to gluten proteins that are present in wheat, barley and rye.

The immune system misinterprets gluten as part of a dangerous infection. The immune system attacks the intestinal epithelium and produces antibodies against both gluten and an enzyme produced in the body called transglutaminase.

Celiac disease patients suffer from many different complaints, such as diarrhoea, stomach pains and poor nutrient absorption. Many of these symptoms are due to the damage the immune system inflicts on the body. The disease can be treated with a strict gluten-free diet.

Celiac disease is strongly under-diagnosed in Norway, and it has been estimated that there are 20–30,000 undiagnosed celiac disease sufferers.