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Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a new and hopeful approach for treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease, but there aren't enough long-term ways to deliver it (1).
It is a randomized, double-blind phase I treatment trial (Parallel Assignment) to evaluate Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) induction by colonoscopy, followed by 12 weeks of daily oral administration of frozen encapsulated cFMT or sham therapy in 12 randomized subjects with active Ulcerative Colitis (UC) (1).
Endoscopic Stages of the Colon Pre/Post FMT, biologic inflammatory markers, outcomes via validated questionnaires
Giving cFMT regularly was safe and people handled it well, but there were worries about storing it at home. Most people followed the study rules closely, and no one had any bad side effects from the treatment. Two people who got cFMT felt better, while no one in the placebo group did. The confidence interval was 0.38 to infinity, and the p-value was 0.45. cFMT led to lasting changes in gut bacteria from the donor. There were also changes in certain immune cells (MAIT cells) in those who got cFMT, which matched how well they responded to the treatment (1).
These pilot data suggest that daily encapsulated cFMT may extend the durability of index FMT‑ind changes in gut bacterial community structure. There may be an association between MAIT cell cytokine production and clinical response to FMT in UC populations. Oral frozen encapsulated cFMT is a promising FMT delivery system. It may be preferred for long-term treatment strategies in UC and other chronic diseases. Further evaluations will need to address home storage concerns. Larger trials should explore the benefits of cFMT. They should also determine its long-term impacts on the colonic microbiome (1).
(1)
see also:
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) & Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)