by Andreu Prados
Faecal microbiota transplantation has been demonstrated to be a safe and highly effective therapeutic option for refractory C. difficile infection (CDI), and many studies have shown that it may possibly have applications in other illnesses such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and in particular for ulcerative colitis (UC).
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) has shown mixed clinical results (see recent trials here and here). In a new pilot study, published as open access, Faming Zhang and colleagues tested the safety and efficacy of a "step-up" FMT strategy in 15 steroid-dependent UC patients.
by Kristina Campbell
United European Gastroenterology (UEG) week starts today and runs until October 28th in Barcelona, Spain. UEG is a non-profit organization focused on advancing gastroenterology care, comprising 22,000 professional members from several European societies.
Collection and sequencing of fecal material as a proxy of gut microbial content is becoming more and more frequent for clinical and/or research studies.
by GMFH Editing Team
Between January 2010 and April 2015, 901 patients with CDI were identified, with a gradual increase over time (2010= 54 patients; 2011= 116 patients; 2012= 200 patients; 2013= 212 patients; 2014= 268 patients; January-April 2015= 71 patients). Thirty-five patients with severe cases underwent FMT: 7 in 2013, 16 in 2014, and 12 between January and April 2015.
Liping Zhao and colleagues, in their recent paper on a dietary intervention for simple and genetic obesity, discussed evidence for the existence of gut microbiota 'guilds': bacterial genomes within the gut ecosystem that responded to the dietary intervention as a group.
by GMFH Editing Team
Thousands of years ago, humans went beyond hunting and gathering and began purposefully selecting and growing the most beneficial plants; what we know as the agricultural revolution was born. Is it possible that cultivating the microbiome would create a comparable paradigm shift?
by Kristina Campbell
Dr. Paul Moayyedi, a gastroenterologist and researcher at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, was the first author of a study published earlier this year that investigated fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a way to induce remission in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). (See the study summary here.)
by Kristina Campbell
In a recent paper, researchers from Canada have coined the term 'ecobiotherapy' to refer to "the use of microbial ecosystems for a therapeutic purpose.
Dr. Liping Zhao, of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, is at the cutting edge of research on how the gut microbiota influence obesity.
