Coeliac UK joins pioneering charity initiative to end autoimmune conditions

July 29, 2021

Coeliac UK has joined the Connect Immune Research initiative, which includes the Type 1 diabetes charity JDRF, the MS Society, Versus Arthritis, Alopecia UK, the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance, and supporting partner the British Society for Immunology.

Together we aim to accelerate research into autoimmune conditions, which see the body’s immune system mistakenly attack healthy cells.

An estimated four million people in the UK are affected by autoimmune conditions that are currently incurable.

This includes around 670,000 with coeliac disease, caused by a reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. We know the risk of coeliac disease is increased in some people with other autoimmune conditions such as Type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroid disease but don’t yet understand why.

The Connect Immune Research initiative brings together researchers from across autoimmune conditions to uncover the common threads in their work. This means we can make greater advances in our understanding and hopefully earlier discoveries for new treatments, and potentially ways to prevent autoimmune disease.

To find out more take a look at our press release.