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Murine Fecal Isolation and Microbiota Transplantation
Published on: May 26, 2023
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Improving Risk-Benefit in Faecal Transplantation through Microbiome Screening
Lito E Papanicolas1, David L Gordon2, Steve L Wesselingh3
1Microbiome and Host Health Programme, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; The SAHMRI Microbiome Research Laboratory, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Trends in Microbiology
|January 19, 2020
Summary
Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is increasingly used but carries risks. Enhancing donor screening to include commensal microbes, not just pathogens, can prevent serious infections in recipients.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an effective therapy for various conditions, with rising clinical application.
- Recent adverse events, including fatal sepsis from antibiotic-resistant pathogens transmitted via FMT, underscore safety concerns.
- Current donor screening primarily focuses on pathogens, neglecting the role of commensal gut microbes in recipient infection risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical need for reevaluating current donor screening practices in Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).
- To emphasize the importance of assessing commensal gut microbes in addition to pathogens for donor stool.
- To propose that comprehensive microbiota analysis can mitigate infectious complications in FMT recipients.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent adverse events and transmission cases associated with Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).
- Analysis of the influence of commensal gut microbes on infection risk in immunocompromised or susceptible hosts.
- Discussion of extending donor stool assessment to include the composition and structure of the broader faecal microbiota.
Main Results:
- Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been linked to the transmission of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
- At least one fatal case of sepsis resulted from pathogen transmission through Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).
- Commensal gut microbes, crucial for modulating infection risk, are not routinely assessed in donor stool.
Conclusions:
- Current donor screening protocols for Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) are insufficient to prevent all infectious complications.
- Incorporating the assessment of commensal microbiota composition into donor screening is essential for improving FMT safety.
- Comprehensive faecal microbiota analysis holds the potential to significantly reduce infectious risks for Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) recipients.
