Thursday, 19th November International Celiac Disease Symposium 2026

• Epithelial Cell Antigen Presentation and the Microbiome - Heather Galipeau
• Mechanisms of Potential Celiac Disease and Proteomic Prediction' - RENATA AURICCHIO
• CD122 Antagonism Demonstrated Greater Reduction of Intestinal Inflammation in the Gut Epithelial Layer and Lamina Propria Compared with IL‑15 Antagonism Alone in a Murine Model of Celiac Disease - Martin Dahl
• A New Mouse Model for Celiac Disease: Constitutive TG2 Activation Cooperates with Gluten and HLA-DQ2 to Induce Celiac-Like Enteropathy - Fu-Chen Yang
• Combined immunophenotyping reveals disease-stage-related patterns of gluten-specific CD4+ T cells and TG2-specific plasma cells in potential, untreated and treated celiac disease - Louise Fremgaard Risnes

Debaters

Affirmative:

• Dr Jocelyn Silvester, McMaster University
• Professor Renata Auricchio, University Federico II
• Dr Bob Anderson, Novoviah Pharmaceuticals

Negative:

• Professor Joseph Murray, Mayo Clinic
• Professor Carolina Ciacci, University of Salerno
• Professor Peter Gibson, Monash University

• How to Publish a Celiac Disease Manuscript: My Gastroenterology Editor’s-Eye Experience - Elena F. Verdu
• Publishing Basic Science Celiac Research - Bana Jabri

• Perspectives from Colorado, USA - Edwin Liu
• Perspectives from New Delhi, India - Govind Makharia

• Organoids and iPSCs in Celiac Disease - Iris Jonkers
• From Stress to Regeneration: Single-Cell Multiomics Reveals Epithelial Reprogramming in Refractory Coeliac Disease - Fabio Luciani

• PREDICTORS OF PROGRESSION TO VILLOUS ATROPHY IN CHILDREN WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES AND POTENTIAL CELIAC DISEASE - Raghav Lal
• Reframing Celiac Disease Diagnostics in an Emerging Therapeutics Era - Christopher Cao
• A Continuous Composite Endpoint Methodology Improves Clinical Trial Efficiency for Celiac Disease - Jack A. Syage
• Feasibility and Diagnostic Performance of a Needle-Free Salivary ADAP Assay for Coeliac Disease Screening - Cynthia Kanagasundaram
• Role of gut epithelial-cell derived transglutaminase 2 in the formation of celiac disease autoantibodies - Fleur du Pre
• Gluten-induced disruption of intestinal neuronal signalling affects the brain and is reversible by transglutaminase inhibition in coeliac disease - Aline Pesi

Chugai Pharmaceutical, a member of the Roche Group, is a research-based company headquartered in Japan that leverages advanced antibody engineering technologies to drive innovative drug discovery.

In this presentation, we will introduce DONQ52, an investigational multispecific antibody being developed for celiac disease, currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial. DONQ52 is designed to selectively bind HLA-DQ2.5–gluten peptide complexes, thereby inhibiting gluten-specific T-cell activation, a key driver of celiac disease pathogenesis. This mechanism enables targeted intervention in the immune response to gluten without inducing systemic immunosuppression.

We will disclose, for the first time, the clinical results on the clinical development program for DONQ52. Following completion of Phase 1 single- and multiple-ascending-dose studies, a biological proof-of-concept (bPoC) trial is currently underway in patients with celiac disease using a controlled gluten challenge model. The study is designed to evaluate the biological activity of DONQ52 in the context of gluten exposure and to further characterize its clinical development potential.

Beyond the scientific and clinical updates, we will highlight Chugai’s holistic commitment to the celiac disease therapeutic area. We will share our overarching vision for delivering this innovative therapy to patients through active collaboration with Patient Advocacy Groups and key stakeholders, emphasizing our dedication to working hand-in-hand with the global celiac disease community.

Presented by Dr Daniel Leffler. 

Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, AGAF is a gastroenterologist caring for patients with celiac disease and other gastrointestinal disorders and is a founding member of the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, has received multiple National Institute of Health, foundation and industry sponsored grants and has published over 200 articles in peer reviewed literature. Dr. Leffler served as the Global Clinical Lead for Celiac Disease at Takeda Pharmaceuticals from 2016 to 2025. He is now the Global Project Strategy Lead at Chugai Pharma and the Head of the Celiac Disease DONQ52 Program.

• Microbiome Mechanisms in Celiac Disease: Designing Better Microbial Therapies - Elena F. Verdu
• Gluten-induced Symptoms, Cytokines and the Gut - Melinda Hardy
• Organoids in Celiac Disease - Calvin Kuo
• Celiac disease patients have an increased IgG antibody response against microbial flagellins and an attenuated antiviral IgG response. - Iris Jonkers
• Characterizing translationally-active duodenal bacteria in celiac disease - Alexa R Weingarden
• B cell–restricted HLA-DQ8 sustains cytotoxic intraepithelial T cell responses and drives tissue damage in celiac disease - Valerie ABADIE

• Challenges with Current Histology and the Emerging Role for AI - Marie Robert
• Alternative Readouts to Classical Histology' - Keijo Viiri
• Pathology for Phase 3 Regulatory Endpoints - Wendy Teft
• Digital and Optical Image Analysis of Gluten-Dependent Small-Intestinal Celiac Biopsies: Bridging Quantitative and Qualitative readouts - Alina Mihaela POPP and Juha Taavela
• AI-powered pathology yields quantitative and reproducible features capturing disease severity in celiac disease biopsies regardless of specimen orientation - Lily Windholz
• THE ROLE OF CAPSULE ENDOSCOPY IN COELIAC DISEASE IN THE ERA OF NO-BIOPSY APPROACH - Cristina Caranfil

• Assessment of Quality of Life of Children & Adolescents aged 8-18 year with Celiac Disease: A cross-sectional study - SADHNA BHASIN
• CLINICAL CHALLENGES IN PEDIATRIC CARE IN LOW-RESOURCE SETTINGS: A CASE-BASED APPROACH FROM GHANA - Emmanuel A. Boateng
• Neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation associates with decreased serologic normalization rates in pediatric celiac disease - Telly Cheung
• Multi-Segment Intussusception in Infant with Suspected Celiac Crisis - Telly Cheung
• Efficiency and Engagement of a Digital Annual Review Assessment Tool Used in Coeliac Disease - Cristian Costas
• Addressing unmet specialist care need through a regional multidisciplinary coeliac disease clinic - Jaycen Cruickshank
• Prevalence of Eating Disorders and Their Impact on Adherence to a Gluten-Free Diet in Adult Patients with Celiac Disease - Bhumika Darmwal
• Adapting the Celiac Disease Symptom Diary v2.1 (CDSD) for Routine Clinical Practice: Preliminary Findings from Cognitive Interviews with Patients with Celiac Disease - Melinda Dennis
• Expanding Quality of Life Screening in Pediatric Celiac Disease: Enhancing Patient-Centered Care and Outcomes - Morgan B Drake
• Changing Minds: Caregiver Perceptions of Psychology in Celiac Care - Morgan B Drake
• From Positive Screening to Diagnosis: Caregiver Experiences with a Pediatric Celiac Disease Screening Program - Morgan B Drake
• Under assessment of Celiac Disease in Sudanese Patients with Iron Deficiency Anemia: Physicians’ Diagnostic Practices and Perceptions - Mojtaba Majdy Elfakey
• The Milano questionnaire: a new dietary score for evaluation of compliance to gluten free diet in patients with celiac disease - Luca Elli
• Retrospective observational study on the environmental sustainability and mediterranean diet adherence in coeliac patiens - Luca Elli
• MANAGEMENT OF CELIAC DISEASE AND GLUTEN-FREE DIET BEFORE CONCEPTION, DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CONSENSUS - Luca Elli
• Centres of Excellence in Coeliac Disease: The First Multidisciplinary Consensus on Quality Standards for Comprehensive Care Units - Sergio Farrais
• Leveraging Quality Improvement Strategies to Increase Access in a Multidisciplinary Pediatric Celiac Clinic - Monique Germone
• Patient-Reported Response to Gluten-Free Diet and Recovery Patterns in patients with Celiac Disease: Insights for defining response to gluten-free diet - Suyasha Gupta
• Suspicion of celiac disease in a 17-year-old female patient presenting with chronic diarrhea and progressive weight loss: diagnostic challenges in a resource-limited setting. - Arthur IGIRANEZA
• Suspicion of celiac disease in a 17-year-old female patient presenting with chronic diarrhea and progressive weight loss: diagnostic challenges in a resource-limited setting. - Arthur IGIRANEZA
• Food is Medicine--GF Access for All - Hilary Jericho
• Coeliac Disease in Women: Recognising Reproductive and Nutritional Manifestations Beyond the Gut - Maimuna Kamilu Adamu
• Trends in iron deficiency before and after incident celiac autoimmunity: A longitudinal follow-up study in Alberta, Canada - James A King
• Transition Readiness from Pediatrics to Adult Care and Contributing Factors in Adolescents with Celiac Disease: A Prospective Study - Laura Kivelä
• From Patient Advocacy to Public Policy: A Patient-Led Initiative to Improve Celiac Disease Recognition and Inclusion in Sonora, Mexico - Alejandra López Montes
• The Theory of Planned Behaviour Provides Important Insights into Behavioural Intentions to Participate in a Hypothetical Gluten-Challenge Trial - Amalia Marino
• Socioeconomic factors associated with symptom burden among Canadians living with celiac disease - Caleigh McAulay
• Beyond the non-biopsy pathway: diagnostic attrition in a statewide paediatric coeliac service - Sasha Mealing
• Improving diagnosis, equity and continuity of care for children with coeliac disease: an analysis informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research - Sasha L Mealing
• Follow-Up Care of Children with Celiac Disease: Current Practices of Canadian Pediatric Gastroenterologists - Batoul Nour and Mohsin Rashid
• Does Patient Race Influence Consideration of Celiac Disease in Primary Care? A Randomized Vignette-Based Study of Pediatric Providers - Catherine Raber
• Patterns of Social Determinants of Health Associated with Celiac Disease Screening in Children - Catherine L Raber
• Clinical, Functional, and Humanistic Burden of Celiac Disease (CeD) in Two Symptomatic Subgroups: A Multi-Stakeholder Qualitative Study in the United States of America - Snigdha Santra and Daniel Leffler
• ‘Young, Wild & Gluten Free’: a pilot study of a self-help podcast psychological intervention for young people with coeliac disease.     - Rose-Marie Satherley
• GlutenFree Buddies: A Pilot Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program for Youth with Celiac Disease - Peacha Sokzini
• Prospective evaluation of clinical activity, quality of life and adherence to the gluten-free diet in the postpartum period among women with celiac disease (CD-PREG) – interim analysis - Amelie Therrien
• The Gut–Brain–Immune Axis in Coeliac Disease: Emerging Evidence and Clinical Implications - Linda Thomas
• Knowledge gaps among dietitians in coeliac disease - Fabiana Torma Botelho
• When Words Shape Outcomes: Rethinking Communication in Coeliac Disease Care - Orlando Tribe Aviles
• Dual Pathology in the Pediatric Gut: Navigating the Overlap of Celiac and Crohn’s Disease - Runa Watkins
• Spatial transcriptomics of the duodenum in celiac disease  - Elena Evans
• Gliadins alone increase membrane transport activity without inducing immune responses in celiac and healthy control iPSC-derived enterocytes - Kati Juuti-Uusitalo
• Gliadin-specific endocytosis rates differ, but uptake is similar in celiac and healthy iPSC-derived enterocytes - Kati Juuti-Uusitalo
• Human iPSCs as models of gluten-induced enteropathy and the effects of brush border enzyme insufficiency on dietary peptide digestion - Marika Kosunen
• Mesenchymal Fibroblast Dysfunction Alters Epithelial Organoids in Celiac Disease - MERLIN NANAYAKKARA
• Spatially Structured IFN Signaling Along the Crypt–Villus Axis Sustains Epithelial dysfunction in Celiac Disease - Marie Robert
• Development of a Patient-Derived Intestinal Organ-on-a-Chip Platform to Investigate Barrier Function in Celiac Disease - Silvia Schobesberger
• Celiac Disease-on-chip: Unravelling (Epi)genetic Influences by Modelling Human Barrier Function - Eline E Smits
• HLA-DQB1-AS1, the antisense lncRNA is a regulator of HLA-DQ2.5 risk genes of Coeliac Disease - Giovanna Del Pozzo
• Misheck Gatua  - Michek Gk Gatua
• Association and functional analysis of T cell receptor gene CD247 SNPs in CeD reveals genotypic associations but no differences in protein expression  - Helka Kaunisto
• The clinical utility of exome sequencing for risk stratification in celiac disease - Xiao-Fei Kong
• Two detection methods for HLA genotyping in Celiac disease: A comparison - Nidhi Singh
• GLUTEN-DRIVEN PRO-INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE PRECEDES CELIAC DISEASE ONSET IN GENETIC AT-RISK INFANTS: MIDTERM RESULTS FROM THE PRECISE STUDY - Carin Andrén Aronsson
• Novel inhibitors and probes to study the TG2-LRP1 pathway: implications for celiac disease - Harrison A Besser
• Type III IFNs are associated with the duodenal IFN response in celiac disease - Fernando Chirdo
• Uncovering HLA-E gluten-peptide restricted CD8⁺ T cells in coeliac disease - Lisa Ciacchi
• An Epithelial-Immune Checkpoint Restrains Villous Atrophy in Potential Celiac Disease - Valentina Discepolo
• Natural-killer-receptors profile of TcRaβ+CD8+ and TcRγδ+ intraepithelial lymphocytes in different stages of celiac disease - Valentina Discepolo
• Gluten-Specific T cells are present in the gut mucosa of children with potential celiac disease despite spontaneous disappearance of anti-tissue transglutaminase in their sera - Carmen Gianfrani
• Gluten-like grain proteins activate coeliac disease-relevant T cell responses but show limited in vivo reactivity - Melinda Y Hardy
• IFN-γ induces distinct dose-dependent transcriptional responses in Coeliac Disease organoid-derived duodenal epithelium - Zitong Jiang
• Risk factors for immune-mediated multimorbidity and familial clusters of disease in patients with celiac disease - James A King
• Haploinsufficiency for human ABCF1 underlies gastrointestinal autoimmunity - Xiao-Fei Kong
• A common chronic inflammatory programme underpins immune and epithelial remodelling in refractory celiac disease - Michael Li
• Specific  Mimetics of the Tissue Transglutaminase and Deamidated Gliadin Complex Can Induce T cell Proliferation in Multiple Mouse Models of Celiac Disease. - Eric V Marietta
• Gluten-free diet initiation transiently increases gluten-specific T-cell frequency and function in coeliac disease - Olivia Moscatelli
• Identification of a novel subset of inflammatory B cells associated with tissue damage in Celiac Disease - Ekaterina Murzin
• Analysis of clonality and longevity of disease-related gut plasma cells in celiac disease: Evidence for persistence of clonotypes - Anna V. Rødseth
• Spatial Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals Stepwise Epithelial Immune Activation in Potential and Overt Celiac Disease - Emilia Siukola
• A scalable intestinal barrier model to study epithelial-immune crosstalk in response to gluten exposure - Helena Thumfart

PREDICTORS OF PROGRESSION TO VILLOUS ATROPHY IN CHILDREN WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES AND POTENTIAL CELIAC DISEASE - Raghav Lal

Reframing Celiac Disease Diagnostics in an Emerging Therapeutics Era - Christopher Cao

A Continuous Composite Endpoint Methodology Improves Clinical Trial Efficiency for Celiac Disease - Jack A. Syage

Feasibility and Diagnostic Performance of a Needle-Free Salivary ADAP Assay for Coeliac Disease Screening - Cynthia Kanagasundaram

Role of gut epithelial-cell derived transglutaminase 2 in the formation of celiac disease autoantibodies - Fleur du Pre

Coeliac disease autoimmunity and coeliac disease in the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity pregnancy-to-childhood cohort study of Australian children at risk of type 1 diabetes - Rebecca Thomson

Early-Life Screening for Celiac Disease in Genetically At-risk Children: the BABYSCREEN Study - Laura Kivelä

Prevalence of Celiac disease in second generation south Indian migrants’ parallels that of native North Indians: A community-based epidemiological study - Samagra Agarwal

Prenatal and early life vitamin A intake is not associated with the risk of celiac disease: The Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child cohort study - Elin HÅRD AF SEGERSTAD

Does Early-Life Greenspace Shape Celiac Disease Risk? Evidence From a Swedish Birth Cohort - Nan Du

Long-term gluten exposure without villous atrophy in adults with coeliac disease - Luca LE Elli

The Recipe for Retention: Dietitian-Led Gluten-Free Diet Education as a Stronger Predictor of Pediatric Celiac Follow-Up Than Location, Insurance, or Comorbidities - Sadie Nagle

Gluten-induced disruption of intestinal neuronal signalling affects the brain and is reversible by transglutaminase inhibition in coeliac disease - Aline Pesi

Panelists:

• Fabiana Zingone, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, Università di Padova
• Cristian Costas Batllé, Specialist Gastroenterology Dietitian, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Alessandra Costigliola, Head of Food Regulation and Networks, Coeliac UK
• Marilyn G. Geller, Chief Executive Officer, Celiac Disease Foundation
• Daniel Leffler, Executive Medical Director, Chugai Pharmaceuticals
• Hannes Berger, Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Schär

Abstract Speakers:

• Diagnostic performance of tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies from plasma separation cards and dried blood spots using multiplex autoantibody detection by agglutination-PCR  - Samia Hamdan
• Metabolism at the Core of Inflammation-Driven Differentiation Defect in Celiac Disease - Roselia R.D. Davidsson
• Improved gluten degradation by microbiota in the presence of Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 and Lactobacillus reuteri - Kelly R Kan
• Single cell spatial transcriptomics reveals cellular neighbourhoods and immune architectures that distinguish active from treated coeliac disease - Olivia Moscatelli

Dress to impress and celebrate with us under the stunning glass ceiling of the NGV! The Gala Dinner promises an evening of elegance, laughter, and inspiration — complete with great food, entertainment, and the perfect backdrop for connection and celebration.

The evening will also include the prestigious Celiac Disease Foundation Award Presentation — a highlight of the conference calendar. Do not miss the social highlight of the conference!

* This is a ticketed event, please indicate your Gala Dinner attendance when registering. Ticket inclusions: 3-course meal.