Recent Development in Celiac Disease: Pathophysiology, Animal Models and Treatments

Abstract

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder which is triggered by gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. There is no successful therapy for CD. A strict gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only remedy used in clinical practice, which highlights the need to develop pharmacotherapeutic approaches to treat CD. This review discussed the data from genetic, biochemical, and immunological research, which has identified the mechanisms that causes activation of gluten which cause sequential immunological cascade through antigen presenting cell (APC) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) dependent pathway. Recent studies aim to develop medications that stimulate repair of intestinal barrier, modify gluten peptides to make less immunogenic, regulate immune responses, and reduce CD associated symptoms. These approaches are mostly investigated in addition to GFD. In addition to these approaches, therapies that may work without gluten restriction need to be prioritized for patients who continue to experience symptoms despite strict adherence to GFD.