Beyond Celiac

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) is a voluntary, non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness for celiac disease and gluten intolerance that will facilitate research, education and early diagnosis, and improve the quality of life for children and adults affected by this autoimmune disease. NFCA envisions a world in which celiac disease is widely recognized as one of the most common hereditary diseases; better, more accurate, and cost-effective screening methodologies are available and in use; a pharmaceutical cure is in place to prevent the onset or mitigate the effects of this autoimmune disorder so that men and women suffering from celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis can lead a normal life. Celiac disease is a digestive disorder characterized by intolerance to dietary gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Dermatitis herpetiformis, also known as Duhring disease, is a rare, chronic, skin disorder characterized by the presence of groups of severely itchy (pruritic) blisters and raised skin lesions (papules). Dermatitis herpetiformis is frequently associated with gluten sensitivity.