Fecal Microbiota Transplantation as Emerging Treatment in European Countries 2.0.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections and one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients in the world. Although several antibiotics effectively treat CDI, some individuals may not respond to these drugs and may be cured by transplanting stool from healthy donors. FMT has demonstrated extraordinary cure rates for the cure of CDI recurrences.Moreover, FMT has also been investigated in other disorders associated with the alteration of gut microbiota, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), where the alterations of the gut microbiota ecology have been theorized to play a causative role. Although FMT is currently not recommended to cure IBD patients in clinical practice, several studies have been recently carried out with the ultimate goal to search new therapeutic options to patients.This review summarizes data on the use of FMT for the treatment of both CDI and IBD, with a special attention to highlight studies conducted in European countries.

The Unique Impact of COVID-19 on Human Gut Microbiome Research.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted clinical trials globally, with unique implications for research into the human gut microbiome. In this mini-review, we explore the direct and indirect influences of the pandemic on the gut microbiome and how these can affect research and clinical trials. We explore the direct bidirectional relationships between the COVID-19 virus and the gut and lung microbiomes. We then consider the significant indirect effects of the pandemic, such as repeated lockdowns, increased hand hygiene, and changes to mood and diet, that could all lead to longstanding changes to the gut microbiome at an individual and a population level. Together, these changes may affect long term microbiome research, both in observational as well as in population studies, requiring urgent attention. Finally, we explore the unique implications for clinical trials using faecal microbiota transplants (FMT), which are increasingly investigated as potential treatments for a range of diseases. The pandemic introduces new barriers to participation in trials, while the direct and indirect effects laid out above can present a confounding factor. This affects recruitment and sample size, as well as study design and statistical analyses. Therefore, the potential impact of the pandemic on gut microbiome research is significant and needs to be specifically addressed by the research community and funders.

Faecal microbiota transplantation as a treatment for inflammatory bowel disease: a national survey of adult and paediatric gastroenterologists in the UK.

BACKGROUND: Interest in the use of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased following outcomes in patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). While research exploring clinician awareness and attitude towards the use of FMT in CDI has been carried out, data for IBD are currently lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess the perceptions of gastroenterologists and current practice relating to FMT as a treatment for IBD in the UK. DESIGN: A web-based survey (Snap Survey software) was distributed through the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition e-newsletters, and at the BSG Conference in June 2017. RESULTS: 61 respondents completed the survey including presubspecialty trainees, gastroenterology specialists, associate specialists and consultants. Most (95%; n=58) respondents stated that they had heard of FMT being used as a treatment for IBD prior to participating in the survey. Based on current evidence, 34% (n=21) of respondents would consider using FMT in patients with IBD, 26% (n=16) would not and 39% (n=24) were undecided. When asked to rank routes of delivery in terms of preference, nasogastric tube was the least preferred route (39%; n=24) and oral capsule was the most preferred route (34%; n=21). CONCLUSIONS: A clear majority of UK gastroenterologists recognise FMT as a potential treatment for IBD; however, uptake is limited. A proportion of clinicians would consider FMT in IBD and the majority would consider entering patients into clinical trials. Future work should explore the utility and efficacy of oral FMT capsules in IBD.

Faecal Microbiota Transplantation as Emerging Treatment in European Countries.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections in the world and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients.Although several antibiotics effectively treat CDI, some individuals do not respond to these drugs and may be cured by transplanting stool from healthy donors. This procedure, termed Faecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT), has demonstrated remarkable efficacy as a treatment for recurrent CDI.FMT has also been investigated in other diseases and disorders where perturbations to the gut microbiota have been theorized to play a causative role in pathogenesis and severity, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although FMT is currently not recommended to cure IBD patients in clinical practice, several studies have recently been carried out with promising results. The aim of future research is therefore to standardize protocols and develop FMT as a therapeutic option for these patients.This review summarizes data on the use of FMT as a treatment for CDI and IBD, with special attention given to studies conducted in European countries.