Larazotide Mechanism of Action
How Larazotide works: receptor targets, signalling pathways, and molecular profile.
Blocking the Zonulin Pathway
Larazotide is a zonulin antagonist — zonulin is the endogenous signal that loosens the tight junctions between intestinal epithelial cells, and gluten exposure triggers excess zonulin release in people with celiac disease. By blocking this pathway, larazotide is designed to keep the gut's tight junctions shut, limiting the permeability spike (and downstream immune activation) that gluten exposure causes.
A Celiac Drug, Not a General Gut-Health Peptide
Larazotide acts locally in the gut lumen rather than being systemically absorbed, which is part of its safety appeal as an oral drug candidate. Critically, it was developed and studied specifically for celiac disease — there is no evidence it addresses general 'leaky gut' or non-celiac gut-health concerns, despite how it's sometimes marketed.
References
- Larazotide acetate for persistent symptoms of celiac disease despite a gluten-free diet · Leffler DA, et al. · 2015