Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School have found that Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) using capsules containing freeze-dried microbes taken orally has similar safety and effectiveness to colonoscopic administration of liquid FMT for treating recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. This research was recently published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CDI).
In the United States, approximately 500,000 people are diagnosed with CDI each year. CDI is typically a result of a negative reaction to antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics, which are also used as a treatment for CDI, further damage the microbiota in the intestinal tract. Standardized Fecal Microbiota Transplant preparations, which are made up of intestinal microbes and have the ability to restore a healthy intestinal microbiota, were developed by a research team at the University of Michigan. This method brings back resistance to CDI and fixes the damage that antibiotics caused.
According to Byron Vaughn, MD, MS, associate professor in the Medical School and gastroenterologist at M Health Fairview, “Capsule Fecal Microbiota Transplant can avoid complications of colonoscopy and facilitate access to this potentially life-saving therapy.” Capsule FMT can also avoid the complications of colonoscopy.
301 FMTs were carried out on a total of 269 patients as part of this prospective national study that involved multiple centers. The capsule form of FMT was utilized for two-thirds of the procedures. At one month, CDI cure rates stood at 86%, while at two months, those rates dropped to 81%. When comparing the capsule FMT to the colonoscopic FMT, there was no significant difference in the one-month or two-month cure rate.
The research team believes that patient selection is the most important factor in determining the level of success that can be achieved with FMT, despite the fact that FMT is highly effective overall. Lower cure rates were associated with factors such as advanced age, hemodialysis, and antibiotic use after Fecal Microbiota Transplant . It is recommended that additional research be conducted in order to identify patients who do not have a successful FMT and to comprehend the reasons why these patients do not respond to the therapy.
The non-profit organization Achieving Cures Together, which is committed to advancing research that is based on the microbiome, provided funding for this study.
