The possibility is getting closer for a potential vaccine to treat celiac disease. The therapeutic vaccine, Nexvax2®, is an immunotherapy treatment to use the body’s own immune system to treat celiac disease. The immunotherapy is given in several treatments to build up resistance in the immune system and to the HLA-DQ2.5 gene most commonly associated with celiac disease.
The treatment essentially tricks the immune system to accept gliadin, the protein that commonly causes celiac disease, to be a normal part of the diet. This reprograms the immune system to learn to accept gluten.
As of January 2019, the FDA has put this vaccine on the fast-track to speed up development and review because celiac disease is a serious or life-threatening condition. Learn more at www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/vaccine/.