In anticipation of the 10th International Congress of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Postbiotics in Pediatrics – Lecce (Italy) April 16-18 2026 – Professor Ruggiero Francavilla, pediatric gastroenterologist at the Polyclinic of Bari (Italy), offers a preview of his upcoming talk. The interview explores his research on the interplay between the gut microbiome, immune function, and intestinal barrier in the pathogenesis of gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Francavilla highlights how microbial imbalances may persist even in patients adhering to a gluten-free diet and contribute to ongoing symptoms. He discusses current evidence on microbiota modulation through probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and diet, and presents emerging preventive strategies such as the CIDIGEM longitudinal study, which aims to identify early microbial predictors of celiac disease in at-risk children.