New and Emerging Celiac Research

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By Molly Winsten MS, RD

Sometimes, when you take a step back and take a look at how much has changed in the last few years when it comes to celiac disease research, it’s almost hard to believe how far we’ve come. Diagnostic procedures have gotten much better, more products that are safe for those with celiac disease (CD) have hit the shelves, and we are continuing to educate the general public and food service professionals alike about the dangers of cross contact and how to prepare gluten-free food safely. We have also completed new research in aging and senior populations, and now we are better equipped to treat this subset of the population. This article will explore the newest research in Celiac Disease and discuss what it could mean for the future!

The first topic to discuss here is the WBAIL-2 / IL-2 Test – this is a special blood test that could erase the need for a gluten exposure time period prior to an endoscopy! Just to clarify and remind anyone who may have forgotten that the current gold standard for diagnosis involves an endoscopy while that person is actually consuming gluten – which can often be an exhausting and painful experience for the patient. This new test identifies a specific immune marker, one that increases quickly when exposed to gluten if the patient has celiac. And it’s all done in a test tube!!! This breakthrough would allow a person to get a diagnosis from a simple blood draw rather than a surgical procedure. It would save time, money, recovery, and even anxiety. Currently, the test is showing 90% sensitivity and 97% specificity, with even higher results in some studies. Labs and scientists are currently working together to hopefully make this test widely available within the next year!

Next up, we will discuss celiac disease (CD) in aging and more senior populations. For a long time, celiac disease was considered more of a disease found in young people, especially because it often presented with clear gastrointestinal distress, skin conditions, or failure to thrive. But recently, there’s been more and more research done that has led to diagnosis in older populations, and it has been proven time and time again that celiac disease can truly develop at any age. The past few decades in particular have shown an increase in CD diagnosis in older populations, with almost 25% of diagnoses coming from patients above 60.  While the diagnoses and the older population has increased, it is still a bit more difficult to diagnose in general. This is because the symptoms are often a little bit more buried than they are with younger people, and often include things such as joint pain, brain fog, bloating, fatigue, and poor appetite, which are often just associated with aging.

Those diagnosed later in life also tend to have some of the more serious potential complications of celiac disease, such as fragility and elevated cancer risk. Additionally, even with a strict gluten-free diet, older adults diagnosed with celiac disease later in life tend to have a more difficult time healing internally. In fact, these older populations consistently show a much slower mucosal healing trajectory than their younger counterparts. There is still more research being done as to why this is, but it’s important to continuously do checkups and see how your antibodies are reacting, regardless of symptom improvement.

Lastly, let’s discuss projects and research that are still in the works! For example, it is a well-known fact, and remains true that the only known treatment for celiac disease is a strict adherence to a gluten-free diet. But there are companies attempting to find pharmaceutical based treatments! There are several companies and multiple potential drugs being studied for this purpose, though nothing has proven effective yet. There is also the idea of maybe a more vaccine-based approach to prevent celiac disease developing. Studies have shown that many people with CD still have continuous mucosal damage despite being on a strict GF diet, so these treatments in the works could really make a difference for a lot of people! There are also many changes being suggested in labeling laws to help increase the safety of processed and packaged foods in the US. With all this in mind, we are excited to see what the future holds for those of us with gluten-free needs!

Celiac Disease in Older Adults & Aging Populations

  1. Rashtak S, Murray JA. Celiac Disease in the Elderly. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology. 2023. PubMed PMID: 36818495. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36818495/
  2. Hardy MY, Tye-Din JA, et al. Blood-Based T-Cell Diagnosis of Celiac Disease (WBAIL-2 assay). Gastroenterology. December 2025. https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(25)00832-7/fulltext
  3. Celiac Disease in the Elderly. ResearchGate / Gastroenterology. August 2022. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362507017_Celiac_Disease_in_the_Elderly
  4. Older Age of Celiac Disease Diagnosis and Risk of Autoimmune Disease: A Nationwide Matched Case-Control Study. European Journal of Internal Medicine. January 2024. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896841124000040

The Australian IL-2 Blood Test

  1. Moscatelli OG, Russell AK, Henneken LM, et al. Blood-Based T Cell Diagnosis of Celiac Disease. Gastroenterology.2025. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2025.05.022. https://www.wehi.edu.au/news/landmark-test-for-coeliac-disease/
  2. Shiha MG, et al. Diagnosing coeliac disease in the elderly: a United Kingdom cohort study. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench. 2020.
  3. Gluten Intolerance Group. Breaking Through: A New Blood Test Could Change Celiac Diagnosis Forever. gluten.org. October 22, 2025. https://gluten.org/2025/10/22/breaking-through-a-new-blood-test-could-change-celiac-diagnosis-forever/

Emerging Treatments & The Pipeline

  1. DelveInsight. Celiac Disease Clinical Trial Pipeline Gains Momentum: 20+ Companies Lead the Charge in Pioneering New Treatments. GlobeNewswire. December 10, 2025. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/12/10/3203440/0/en/Celiac-Disease-Clinical-Trial-Pipeline-Gains-Momentum-20-Companies-Lead-the-Charge-in-Pioneering-New-Treatments-DelveInsight.html
  2. Celiac Canada. Celiac Disease Research Treatment 2025. celiac.ca. August 28, 2025. https://www.celiac.ca/celiac-disease-research-treatment-2025/
  3. Expert Market Research. Celiac Disease Pipeline Insight 2026. expertmarketresearch.com. April 9, 2026. https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/clinical-trials/celiac-disease-pipeline-insight
  4. Kowalski MK, et al. Rethinking Celiac Disease Management: Treatment Approaches Beyond the Gluten-Free Diet. Biomedicines. 2025;14(1):29. doi:10.3390/biomedicines14010029. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/14/1/29
  5. BioPharma Dive. Celiac Disease Is Entering a New Era of Therapeutic Innovation. biopharmadive.com. Updated May 28, 2026. https://www.biopharmadive.com/spons/celiac-disease-is-entering-a-new-era-of-therapeutic-innovation/822457/