Monday, August 25, 2008

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Celiac Disease

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have pinpointed a receptor that is fundamental to celiac disease, and could be just as significant in other devastating autoimmune disorders, including diabetes or multiple sclerosis. Celiac disease is characterized by sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in wheat. When celiac patients eat gluten, the protein triggers an autoimmune response in which the immune system attacks the body. When a particular receptor in the intestine, called CXCR3, comes in contact with gluten, it opens a gateway for gluten to enter the body and trigger that faulty immune response, according to a findings of a study led by University of Maryland School of Medicine professor Alessio Fasano, M.D., and published in the July 2008 issue of the prestigious journal Gastroenterology. This is a basic scientific discovery that could have major implications for the treatment and diagnosis of celiac disease and other autoimmune disorders in the future. Tonight Dr. Fasano joins us to discuss the paper and his ongoing work as director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Dr. Alessio Fasano

Director, Center for Celiac Research,
University of Maryland School of Medicine

 The University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research

The Future of Newspapers

Readership and revenues are down at the nation's major newspapers. The Baltimore Sun recently had a round of staff buyouts and layoffs. Now they have redesigned the paper and eliminated some sections. The Editor and Senior Vice President of the Baltimore Sun joins us live tonight to discuss the paper's new look and the future of print as it battles online and mobile news sources.

Tim Franklin

Editor and Senior Vice President
The Baltimore Sun

 The Baltimore Sun