Fecal Transplant in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have differences in their gastrointestinal microbiome compared with healthy individuals, although it is unclear whether this is a cause or consequence of chronic inflammation. There is hope that manipulation of the gut microbiome through fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), commonly used to treat patients with Clostridium difficile infection, may also be an effective therapy in IBD. This article reviews the evidence supporting FMT in IBD, including case reports, case series, and randomized controlled trials. The article also focuses on questions of safety and speculates on the future of this therapy.