DeepSummary
Dr. Alessio Fasano, a leading expert on celiac disease and gluten-related disorders, discusses his research on the microbiome, intestinal permeability, and autoimmune disorders. He explains how his discovery of the zonulin molecule, which regulates gut permeability, led him to investigate celiac disease and its trigger, gluten. Fasano also talks about his books, 'Gluten Freedom' and 'Gut Feelings: The Microbiome and Our Health,' and the progress being made in developing drug therapies for celiac disease.
Fasano shares insights from his work on cholera and the discovery of the zonula occuldens toxin, which led him to understand how microbes communicate with the human body. He discusses the reasons why celiac disease was historically not taken seriously by the medical community and the recent increase in diagnosis rates. Fasano also talks about his long-term study following infants at risk of developing celiac disease, aiming to identify factors contributing to its development and pave the way for personalized prevention.
Additionally, Fasano discusses the link between gut permeability and aging, the role of the microbiome in programming the immune system, and his work with autistic children. He also provides an update on the European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno, which focuses on nutrition, gut-brain axis, and regenerative medicine.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Dr. Alessio Fasano's discovery of the zonulin molecule and its role in regulating gut permeability led him to investigate celiac disease and its trigger, gluten.
- Fasano's research has shown that the microbiome plays a crucial role in programming the immune system and influencing the development of autoimmune disorders like celiac disease.
- The first 1,000 days of life are instrumental in establishing a compatible relationship between the host and the microbiome, which can impact long-term health outcomes.
- Gluten sensitivity, a condition distinct from celiac disease, affects an estimated 20 million Americans and is now recognized as a real phenomenon after initial skepticism.
- Fasano's long-term study following infants at risk of developing celiac disease aims to identify factors contributing to the development of the disease and pave the way for personalized prevention strategies.
- Progress is being made in developing drug therapies for celiac disease, which currently relies solely on a gluten-free diet as the only viable treatment option.
- Fasano emphasizes the importance of taking care of the environment to maintain a healthy microbiome, as human and environmental health are interconnected.
- Fasano's work also extends to understanding the gut-brain axis and its potential implications for conditions like autism spectrum disorder.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “The first thousand days of life, from conception to two years of life will be instrumental to dictate your clinical destiny because that's the time in which we have to find that nice compatibility between the host and the microbiome.“ by Alessio Fasano
- “If you look at the microbiome of these kids at the of all we realize that engraftment starts before birth. We start to see a blood microbiome and then the placenta microbiome of these mothers, that has a sort of signature, so to speak.“ by Alessio Fasano
- “Gluten sensitivity for short. A lot of skepticism at the beginning, but now people are growing into the idea that that's a real deal. And I have to say that at the beginning I was also skeptical, and again, to be factual, so not to be appearing smart, that we thought about this, and therefore we discovered this new entity.“ by Alessio Fasano
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Episode Information
STEM-Talk
Dawn Kernagis and Ken Ford
5/22/24