Borody TJ¹, Eslick GD², Clancy RL³. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2019 Jun 4;49:43-51. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2019.04.017. [Epub ahead of print]

Author information

1 Centre for Digestive Diseases, Level 1, 229 Great North Road, Five Dock, NSW, 2046, Australia. Electronic address: thomas.borody@cdd.com.au.

2 Department of Surgery, Nepean Hospital, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.

3 Centre for Digestive Diseases, Level 1, 229 Great North Road, Five Dock, NSW, 2046, Australia.

Abstract

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) represents the most effective means of therapeutically manipulating the gastrointestinal microbiome. Originally employed as a treatment of last-resort in patients with life-threatening Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), FMT gained widespread acceptance during the CDI epidemic, where it achieved resolution rates approaching 100%. Following our newfound appreciation for the role of the gut microbiome in both health and disease and owing to FMT's unique mechanism/s of action, FMT is rapidly advancing as an effective treatment for a number of conditions in which the gastrointestinal microbiome is thought to play a role. We review the role of FMT from its beginnings in CDI to its expansion into inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and colon cancer.