Previous clinical studies have shown a promising role of fecal microbiota transplantation to induce remission in ulcerative colitis and maintain steroid-induced Crohn’s disease remission. A new double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found fecal microbiota transplantation is not effective at inducing clinical or endoscopic remission in adults with Crohn’s disease.

After two decades of scientific exploration, the human microbiome has emerged as a critical determinant of health and disease. Fueled by multi-omics technologies and machine learning, the field has advanced from correlation-based observations to establishing causal relationships. This article presents recent and compelling examples of microbiome-based treatments that are ripe for clinical adoption and discusses challenges and opportunities facing the field based on expert interviews conducted by the GMFH team.

Two hospitals in Barcelona, the Clínic and Bellvitge, have launched Spain's first Fecal Microbiota Bank. Their goal is to obtain donations of stool from healthy individuals to perform microbiota transplants on patients suffering from potentially fatal infections of bacteria known as C. difficile infections. We step into the fecal microbiota transfer units of both hospitals to learn how they operate and meet some of the donors.

While fecal microbiota transplants are recommended for multiple recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, their use in clinical practice is hindered by a lack of regulation and understanding of the underlying ecological dynamics. This article covers major challenges for the treatment in transitioning from bench to bedside, from the scientific, clinical and regulatory perspectives (Part 6).

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