I really really love this image of intestines. (Yup, that phrase just happened) And the article in the NY Times that accompanies it is equally as rare and exciting.
Reading through the piece, I also got the feeling that perhaps I am a honey bee. Beyond being fond of flowers, I just kept thinking about the "mysterious" decline of honey bees in the past decade. That there is some environmental shift that is occurring, but humans are still struggling to figure it out. The timeline isn't the same, but that huge explosion in the number of persons with celiac disease, and who have the gene markers for the disease, has gone up exponentially in the past 50 years.
The article touches on environmental research as one of several different factors in "triggering" celiac disease, including changing gut flora. This is really cool from the dorky science perspective, but it has real implications in understanding celiac and other autoimmune diseases. Part of me thought that this type of research would never happen. I am really excited. Even if it doesn't mean a cure for me - perhaps we can work towards eradicating the triggers of the disease for future generations.
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