Coeliac Disease
Coeliac disease is a prevalent disorder (1-3%) with large unmet needs with regard to both diagnosis and treatment.The disease is caused by harmful immune reactions to cereal gluten proteins. The lesion of the small intestine with blunting of villi causes impaired nutrient absorption leading to some of the characteristic symptoms: diarrhoea, anaemia, osteoporosis and child growth retardation.
While often categorised as a food hypersensitivity disorder, the disease has many autoimmune characteristics with highly disease specific autoantibodies being the most notable.The disease has a strong heritable component with HLA genes as the major genetic factor. It shares many key features with HLA-associated diseases like primary sclerosing cholangitis, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Over the last 20 years, huge advances have been made in the understanding of the pathophysiology of the disorder. This insight has spurred into improved diagnostic assays and a handful of novel treatments are currently tested in clinical trials.
Norwegian Coeliac Disease Research Centre
The overall goal of the Norwegian Coeliac Disease Research Centre (NCoDiRC) is to translate advances in the basic understanding of the pathogenesis of coeliac disease to the clinic – to improve disease diagnostics, to implement novel treatments and to identify new therapeutic targets for this common disease.
NCoDiRC is initiated as a legacy of the translational research conducted at K.G. Jebsen Coeliac Disease Research Centre (2016 - 2022). From the research projects conducted during the Jebsen centre period we have gained better understanding of the immune mediated pathogenesis, tested novel treatment options and developed several novel diagnostic approaches that we will continue to develop and test for clinical use. Through NCoDiRC we aim to the continue the strong is translational research collaborations, and foster new research activity with the aim to ultimately improve patient care.
NCoDiRC is organized from the Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo. The centre has no formal funding but aims to serves as a contact hub for translational research on coeliac disease and related immune mediated diseases in Norway. Current project leaders include senior and junior group leaders from the K.G Jebsen Coeliac Disease Research Centre.
Project leaders
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Professor Ludvig M. Sollid - Centre leader
Immunologist. Professor at the Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital -
Professor Knut E. A. Lundin
Gastroenterologist. Professor at the Department of Gastroenterology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital. - Professor Geir Kjetil Sandve
Bioinformatician. Professor at the Department of Informatics, University of Oslo - Dr. Rasmus Iversen
Immunologist. Researcher. Department of Immunology, University of Oslo - Dr. Jorunn Stamnæs
Immunologist. Researcher. Department of Immunology, University of Oslo