Eighteen very intense years separate ICDS 2002 and ICDS 2019 in Paris. Over this period, interest for coeliac disease has been blooming worldwide and ICDS has met formidable success across Europe, in the US and recently in India. Considerable efforts have been invested and have succeeded in unravelling the wide geographic distribution and increasing incidence of coeliac disease, in describing its highly versatile and changing clinical presentation, in refining diagnostic approaches. Pathophysiological studies have considerably progressed, and translation into innovative and rationale-based strategies has been initiated. New therapeutic approaches will be soon available outside gluten free diet. Beyond coeliac disease, the possible impact of dietary gluten on human health is raising considerable concern and interrogation on the reality and possible mechanisms of non-coeliac cases of gluten-driven pathology.
With the IISSCD board and of the ICDS 2019 scientific committee, we intend to make the 18th ICDS an outstanding forum for sharing expanding knowledge, for promoting education in coeliac disease and related disorders. We intend to encourage many discussions, to delineate future challenges in the field and to build and foster international cooperation.