Lomonosov Moscow State University scientists, in collaboration with the Belozersky Research Institute of Physics-Chemical Biology, studied the digestive enzymes of insect pests of grain crops. The enzymes contain glutinanes – enzymes capable of breaking down cereal proteins.
For people with celiac disease (inability to digest gluten), taking medications based on the detected digestive enzymes of insects can become a promising method of treatment. However, it is clarified that currently the use of glutinanes for the treatment of celiac disease is insufficiently studied.
“We are convinced that the future belongs to enzyme therapy,” explained Irina Filippova, Ph.D. of the Department of Chemistry of Natural Compounds of the Faculty of Chemistry of Moscow State University, Doctor of Chemical Sciences – “This is a very promising area that requires research aimed at finding and studying glutinanes that are highly effective and safe for humans. Serious clinical trials are needed to make a final conclusion about the effectiveness of the therapeutic use of glutinane. But it is already well established that enzyme therapy can reduce the negative effects caused by gluten, and it can be considered as an effective pharmacological supplement to a gluten-free diet. In our further research on this topic, we hope to create a real drug for the enzyme therapy of celiac disease based on the discovered and studied digestive enzymes of insect pests.”
The work was published in the journal Pharmaceuticals.