Microbiota — The faecal microbiota transplant

The faecal transplant os a very good tool to prove a causative role of our gut microbiome in curing different diseases. Because of this reason, the interest in faecal microbiota transplant is rising. We mentioned some research done on mice, but this is a well known practice, and we have a Chinese medical manual from the 4th century A.C. describing the procedure done on humans, as a remedy for food poisoning. But how do we do it today? A healthy donor donates a stool sample, which is tested for certain diseases, frozen and given to the patient later by a tube or as capsules, in order to reach the small intestine. Enema can be also used. This is working by restoring a gut microbiome that it is out of balance, bringing equilibrium and leaving hardly any room for pathogens. However, use of antibiotics and some other factors can disrupt the balance, allowing the pathogens like clostridium difficile to cause infections (symptoms are chronic gut inflammation and persistent diarrhoea). Using antibiotics to cure an infection with clostridium difficile is not effective, as the disease is recurring, and the bacteria is becoming resistant to antibiotics, because this clostridium difficile can colonize an altered microbiota composition. By restoring the microbiota composition, 90% of the patients were cured.

In this case, the faecal transplant is more efficient that antibiotics. Because the gut microbiota of a healthy donor is introduced, restoring the balance and breaking the cycle of the disease. When the healthy microbiota colonize the…