Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 31, 2025
Therapeutic Evaluation of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in an Interleukin 10-Deficient Mouse Model
Published on: April 6, 2022
Mucosal microbial load in Crohn's disease: A potential predictor of response to faecal microbiota transplantation
Guillaume Sarrabayrouse1, Stefania Landolfi2, Marta Pozuelo1
1Department of Gastroenterology, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Pg Vall d'Hebron, 119-129 Barcelona, Spain.
Background:
The remission of Crohn's disease (CD) can be accomplished by faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). However, this procedure has a low success rate, which could be attributed to mis-communication between recipient intestinal mucosa and donor microbiota.
Methods:
Here we used a human explant tissue model and an in vivo mouse model to examine changes in recipient intestinal mucosa upon contact with a faecal suspension (FS) obtained from a healthy donor. CD patients provided resected inflamed and non-inflamed mucosal tissues, whereas control colonic mucosa samples were collected from colorectal cancer patients. For the models, mucosal microbiome composition and tissue response were evaluated.
Findings:
We show that cytokine release and tissue damage were significantly greater in inflamed compared to non-inflamed CD tissues. Moreover, mucosal samples harbouring an initial low microbial load presented a shift in composition towards that of the FS, an increase in the relative count of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and a higher secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 compared to those with a high microbial load.
Interpretation:
Our results indicate that FMT during active inflammatory disease can compromise treatment outcome. We recommend the stratification of FMT recipients on the basis of tissue microbial load as a strategy to ensure successful colonization.
Funding:
This study was supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III/FEDER (PI17/00614), the European Commission: (INCOMED-267128) and PERIS (SLT002/16). K.M. is a postdoctoral fellow and S.V. a senior clinical investigator of the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders, Belgium (FWO-Vlaanderen).
