Are new treatments for celiac disease on the horizon?

September 25, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

For about three million Americans with celiac disease, a single bite of pizza or a chocolate chip cookie can trigger a painful immune reaction that attacks the small intestine. But after decades where a strict gluten-free diet was the only option, a wave of new drug candidates is moving through clinical trials. Dr. Maureen Leonard, clinical director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Mass General Hospital for Children, walked Science Friday through what these treatments aim to do—and why the path to approval is still uncertain.

How Celiac Disease Actually Works

Celiac disease is not a food allergy or a simple intolerance. As Dr. Leonard explains, no human can fully digest gluten. In people with the right genetic background, undigested gluten proteins slip through the intestinal lining—a process called increased permeability—and trigger an inflammatory immune response. That inflammation damages the villi in the small intestine, leading to symptoms like severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, anemia, osteoporosis, and in extreme cases, ulcers or holes in the intestine.

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What you'll learn

1 (01:24) **Introduction to Celiac Disease and the Hope for New Treatments** - Ira introduces the episode, noting that about 3 million Americans have celiac disease, and new drugs are on the horizon.
2 (02:18) **How Celiac Disease Works: The Leaky Gut Mechanism** - Dr. Leonard explains the biological process behind the immune reaction.
3 (03:34) **Why Celiac Disease Can Appear Suddenly at Any Age** - The discussion shifts to what triggers the onset of celiac disease later in life.
4 (04:21) **New Drug TEV-408: Blocking Inflammation After Gluten Exposure** - Ira asks about a specific new drug in clinical trials, TEV-408.
5 (05:51) **A Hopeful Pipeline: Three Approaches to Treatment** - Dr. Leonard outlines the broader landscape of potential celiac therapies.
6 (07:14) **The "Celiac Disease Prevention" Study: A 12-Year Birth Cohort** - Dr. Leonard describes her long-term study aimed at understanding why celiac develops.
7 (08:14) **Early Warning Signs: Changes in the Microbiome and Gut Permeability** - The study has found biomarkers that appear years before celiac disease is diagnosed.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

For celiac disease sufferers, avoiding gluten is the only way to avoid symptoms. But that’s not always easy to do. Researchers are working on new treatments, including one that targets interleukin-15, a chemical that can cause some of the damage in celiac sufferers. Will the drugs be available to patients soon?

Celiac expert Maureen Leonard joins Host Ira Flatow for a look at the latest in treating celiac disease.

Guest:

Dr. Maureen Leonard is the clinical director of the Center For Celiac Research And Treatment at Mass General Hospital for Children. She’s also an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

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