CXCR3 receptor and autoimmune disease-

[cheerleader]

The CXCR3 receptor has been identified as the gateway for permiability in celiac disease.

"A study published in the July issue of Gastroenterology identifies the CXCR3 receptor in the intestine as a gluten gateway. When people with celiac disease eat gluten, the protein triggers their immune system to attack the body, causing a wide range of serious health problems.

"This is a scientific question that had never been answered before," Dr. Alessio Fasano, medical director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said in an university news release. "It is not only significant in the basic science of autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease, but in therapeutic approaches for the future. This opens a new scientific paradigm for the study of immunity."

The research team found that gliadin, the part of gluten that causes the most trouble for those with celiac disease, binds to the CXCR3 receptor. This results in the release of zonulin, a human protein that lowers the intestinal barrier to make it more permeable. While this effect is temporary in most people, the barrier stays down for long periods of time in people with celiac disease, causing disruption in the body's system."

link

CXCR3 receptors are also sig. higher in optic neuritis/MS patients
http://bjo.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/88/9/1146
The excessive CXCR3 receptors might be the cause of the increase in zonulin in the blood/brain barrier breakdown, as well?
AC