Israeli students develop treatment for gluten intolerance

Students develop system based on guided nanoparticles that break apart the proteins in gluten remove them from the gastrointestinal tract • The treatment enables gluten-sensitive patients to eat foods containing gluten without damaging their health.

Students at the AMIT Bar-Ilan boys high school in Netanya, in cooperation with students from the Ulpanit Netanya girls school, have been awarded the Ness Technologies first prize this week for technological leadership development for inventing a groundbreaking development that may provide a solution to millions of celiac sufferers.

The group of students includes Roei Vaknin and Or Keinan from AMIT Bar-Ilan, alongside Ophir Cohen, Ortal Cabilio and Hodaya Mesika from Ulpanit Netanya. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that is caused by a reaction to gliadin, a prolamin (gluten protein) found in wheat, barley and rye. The disorder interferes with absorption of nutrients from food and sufferers of the disease cannot tolerate any foods containing gluten.