Gut protists and celiac disease
Official title: Role of gut protists in celiac disease
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11285168 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looking at whether tiny single-celled organisms in the gut change how people with celiac disease react to gluten.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | February 8, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $614,423 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI168478-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285168 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with celiac disease or people at higher genetic risk (HLA DQ2/DQ8), especially those willing to give stool or intestinal biopsy samples, would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without celiac disease or those seeking immediate treatment effects are unlikely to get direct clinical benefit from participating.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how gut protists (single-celled organisms) influence the immune cells in the intestine that normally keep reactions to food calm. They will compare samples from people with and without celiac disease and use laboratory models to see how protists change responses to gluten. The team will focus on immune pathways known to go wrong in celiac disease, including cells that control tolerance and inflammatory signals like IL-15. Results will help link changes in the gut ecosystem to the abnormal gluten response seen in celiac disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to restore tolerance to gluten or prevent immune flares in people with celiac disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies showed that viruses and inflammation can disrupt oral tolerance in celiac disease, but directly studying gut protists in this context is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hinterleitner, Reinhard — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Hinterleitner, Reinhard
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how immune cells interact in celiac disease to guide healing
A study from the University of Chicago will follow people with celiac disease to understand how immune cells in the gut contribute to damage or healing when gluten is present or restricted.
-
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Tissue damage and healing in Celiac Disease
A broad study at the University of Chicago is exploring why some people with celiac disease keep having symptoms and tissue damage even when they try to follow a gluten-free diet.
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This project looks at whether using portable gluten sensors and urine gluten tests together with telemedicine can help adults with celiac disease stick to a gluten-free diet and feel better.
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A study tests new gluten-detection tools used with online care to help adults with celiac disease manage their condition.
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Role of Transglutaminase 2 in Celiac Disease
A study from Stanford aims to understand how a specific enzyme, TG2, contributes to celiac disease and to test a potential gut-focused treatment that could one day help people avoid dietary controls.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.