Future for Coeliac Disease Diagnostic Approaches & Research Unveiled
Exciting developments occurring in coeliac disease research
Hey gluten free fam,
We have some exciting coeliac disease research news for you! I sat down with Associate Professor, gastroenterologist and coeliac disease researcher Jason Tye-Din. He was accompanied by Coeliac Australia Health Advocacy Officer Penny Dellsperger for our recently released episode of A Gluten Free Podcast.
We talked about the recent International Celiac Disease Symposium (ICDS) in Sheffield, the latest coeliac disease research updates from Jason and news of the ICDS coming to Melbourne in 2026!
The ICDS is the biggest coeliac disease conference in the world. The event is held once every two years, inviting clinicians, scientists, advocacy groups and industry to focus their efforts to advance understanding and management strategies for coeliac disease. This year it was held in Sheffield in the UK between 5th-7th September, 2024.
In our episode together Professor Tye-Din and Dellsperger discussed the key takeaways from the conference.
Standout International Celiac Disease Symposium & Podcast Highlights
Carlo Catassi’s presentation of passing a law in Italy to screen their entire population for coeliac disease and Type 1 diabetes amongst ages 1 - 17. This study hopes to provide information on the burden of coeliac disease, the impact of diagnosis, treatment and the cost-effectiveness of the approach.
Jason and his PHD student Olivia Moscatelli have developed the Interleukin 2 method, potentially offering a faster method to coeliac disease diagnoses. This blood-based tool has huge potential to help both children and adults by avoiding the need for a gluten challenge and subsequent invasive gastroscopy by diagnosing through a simple blood test.
The latest updates on Dr James Daveson’s gluten threshold study conducted at Wesley Medical Research in Queensland. This study will ultimately show how much gluten is needed to create the autoimmune response in those with coeliac disease versus simply triggering symptoms. These findings will be released soon.
The interest from International Celiac Disease Symposium attendees in regards to Tye-Din’s latest research on oats as part of a gluten free diet for Australians living with coeliac disease.
Penny’s experience of collaborating with coeliac disease advocacy groups from around the world, learning from other countries in their own approaches. Penny also discussed how similar our viewpoints and struggles are internationally in regards to coeliac disease and living gluten free.
Preparation underway for the International Celiac Disease Symposium coming to Melbourne in 2026.
Tye-Din is currently undertaking a coeliac disease symptoms study.
The publication for Interleukin 2 and the oats study being released soon.
Penny and Jason’s feelings around coeliac disease research and advocacy moving into 2025 and beyond.
Tye-Din and his colleague’s salivary-based transglutaminase test showing promising results in an early research phase.
Interleukin 2 has potential to change the game in coeliac disease diagnoses worldwide
What Interleukin 2 Could Mean for Coeliac Disease Diagnoses
So, you might be thinking this all sounds interesting. But what actually is Interleukin 2 and why is it so important in the potential future process of diagnosing coeliac disease? Think of it like a gluten challenge in a test tube without the patient actually having to ingest gluten themselves. It can even be used to diagnose coeliac disease in those who are already following a gluten free diet!
What would this mean? If you’re already on a gluten free diet, you can still be properly tested for coeliac disease. Obviously this would be an enormous step forward in the current testing of coeliac disease. The current process acts as a major barrier for many, given the gruelling nature of the gluten challenge and the subsequent invasive and costly gastroscopy to confirm a diagnosis. This is still the gold standard of diagnosis within Australia but that may change with the introduction of this testing method.
If you’d like to learn more from Tye-Din and his team’s Interleukin 2 study, I sat down with him previously to discuss this on a former episode which you can listen to here.
Where Coeliac Disease Research is Heading into 2025 & Beyond
Tye-Din’s work is absolutely groundbreaking and as he discussed in our episode together, all other representatives from around the world were focussed on the work Australia in particular is actively doing in regards to major advancements in coeliac disease research and advocacy.
It’s so cool to hear the International Coeliac Disease Symposium will be coming to Melbourne in 2026! Stay tuned for more developments on this. We’ll have Jason and Penny back on the podcast to share the latest developments, news and findings in this space as they develop.
Interested to participate in one of Tye-Din’s coeliac disease trials? Email coeliac@wehi.edu.au *Please note : Not all studies involve a gluten challenge.*
Resources:
Walter Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) website
