September Is Coming in Hot at Fat Celiac
New celiac drug news. A documentary called Gluten is a Joke. A new way to work with me. And approximately 47 things I want to talk about.
September is coming in hot.
So today we’re doing a little Fat Celiac potpourri.
ZED1227 Is Back in the Celiac Conversation
First up: ZED1227.
If you’ve followed Fat Celiac for a while, you may remember that I’ve been watching this drug for years.
I first wrote about ZED1227 back in 2021, when results from a Phase 2a study showed that people taking the drug experienced less gluten-induced intestinal damage than those receiving placebo.
I came back to ZED1227 again in 2022 as researchers continued trying to figure out exactly where this drug might fit into celiac treatment.
ZED1227 is a tissue transglutaminase 2, or TG2, inhibitor.
TG2 plays an important role in the immune response that ultimately leads to intestinal damage in celiac disease. Instead of trying to destroy gluten before it reaches the intestine, ZED1227 intervenes in part of that biological process.
That’s one reason I’ve always found it interesting.
And now we’re learning more.
Researchers have looked beyond the intestinal biopsy and examined what happens elsewhere in the body during gluten exposure. The newer work suggests ZED1227 may suppress some of the systemic molecular changes triggered by gluten as well.
That’s interesting.
It is also important to keep this in perspective.
This is not a cure for celiac disease.
It is not permission to start eating gluten.
And nobody should be changing their gluten-free diet because of an experimental medication.
But the possibility that someday we might have another layer of protection beyond:
“Follow the gluten-free diet perfectly and never make a mistake for the rest of your life.”
Yes.
That has my attention.
I’ll do a proper ZED1227 deep dive because this deserves considerably more than a few paragraphs.
If you want to understand why I care so much about treatments that could protect against accidental exposure, read The Rules of Celiac and my recent discussion of meaningful risk versus theoretical gluten exposure.
Those conversations are becoming increasingly connected.
Apparently Gluten Is a Joke
Next up: there’s a documentary coming out called Gluten is a Joke.
And yes.
That’s actually the title.
The documentary looks at something I’ve talked about for years: how gluten-free living became a cultural punchline while people with celiac disease still have to rely on a medically necessary gluten-free diet.
There is a difference between laughing about the absurd parts of living with celiac disease and making people with celiac disease the joke.
I make jokes about this disease all the time.
Sometimes humor is how we survive the ridiculousness.
But “gluten free” becoming shorthand for difficult, trendy, dramatic or ridiculous has consequences for the people who actually need other people to take it seriously.
The documentary premieres September 12 in Florida, and I fully intend to talk about it more.
I have thoughts.
Lots of them.
There’s Also a New Way to Work With Me
September is going to look a little different around here.
I’ve spent years researching celiac disease, reading studies, writing about what I find, answering questions, building free Fat Celiac resources, and trying to help people navigate life in a gluten-covered world.
And I’m going to stop being shy about the business side of Fat Celiac.
So I’m trying something new.
I’m opening a very limited number of 30-minute one-on-one sessions.
These are for the situations that don’t fit neatly into a Facebook comment.
Bring the celiac question you’ve Googled seventeen times.
Bring the restaurant situation you can’t figure out.
Bring the family problem.
Bring the cross-contact question.
Bring the thing you’ve read five completely different answers about.
Bring the decision you’re simply stuck on.
We’ll talk it through.
I’m opening two appointments each week to start.
30 minutes.
$40.
Book 30 Minutes with Fat Celiac
This is educational and practical support based on celiac research and lived experience. It isn’t medical diagnosis or individualized medical treatment, and it doesn’t replace your healthcare team.
Sometimes, though, what you need isn’t another Google search.
You need someone to help you think through the question.
That’s what these sessions are for.
And if restaurants happen to be the thing you’re stuck on, start with my guide to ordering gluten free in a restaurant.
And My Life Is a Big Ole Mess
Finally, my life is currently a big ole messy mess.
Work is busy.
Fat Celiac is evolving.
September apparently arrived with new celiac research, a documentary, a new service, and approximately 47 things I want to write about immediately.
And honestly?
I’m excited about where this is going.
We’re going to keep talking about the fundamentals of celiac disease.
I’m still going to call out bad science, ridiculous internet claims and things that simply aren’t true.
But we’re also going further.
We’re going to talk about risk.
Tradeoffs.
Treatment burden.
Belonging.
The real cost of living gluten free.
The difference between being careful and trying to eliminate every conceivable risk.
And what happens when you’ve learned all the rules but real life hands you a situation where there isn’t one.
That’s where I think some of the most interesting conversations about celiac disease live.
I’m taking a bit of a leap of faith here, kind of like hoping my gluten-free order at a restaurant doesn’t make me ill.
So stick around.
Read. Comment. Disagree. Ask questions. Share the things that make you think.
And if you’ve got a celiac problem that needs more than a comment section, book 30 minutes with me and let’s talk it through.
September is coming in hot.
Let’s see where it goes.
Leave a Reply