Sep 25, 2026 · 12 min
Celiac researchers test treatments beyond gluten avoidance
Are new treatments for celiac disease on the horizon?
Experimental therapies could eventually give people with celiac disease options beyond lifelong gluten avoidance, while risk research may improve earlier detection.
- 1Researchers are testing approaches that digest gluten, reduce intestinal permeability, control inflammation, or block IL-15 signaling.
- 2A long-term study of more than 600 children with family histories is tracking biology, diet, microbiomes, and environmental triggers.
- 3First-degree relatives should be screened while eating gluten, and early-life gluten exposure may influence later celiac disease risk.
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Maureen Leonard explains how a long-term study of children with family histories may reveal the biological and environmental triggers of celiac disease.
The brief
Celiac disease turns gluten into an immune trigger that damages the small intestine, leaving patients with avoidance as the central treatment strategy.
Maureen Leonard describes experimental approaches ranging from the IL-15 antibody TEV408 to therapies designed to digest gluten, limit intestinal permeability, and control inflammation.
A birth-cohort study following more than 600 children with a family history is tracking blood markers, diets, stool microbiomes, and environmental factors to identify disease triggers.
The conversation also addresses family testing and timing: first-degree relatives need to be eating gluten for blood tests to be accurate, while treatment timelines remain uncertain.
Leonard highlights early-life risk research, including whether consuming large amounts of gluten in childhood helps explain differences observed between Italy and the United States.
Featuring
Maureen Leonard
Harvard Medical SchoolListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.