Researchers have some contraintuitive advice. Saving your poop today could save your life in the future.
The researchers published an opinion paper Thursday in Trends in Molecular Medicine. They argue for autologous fecal mikrobiota transplantation (or FMT) — using your own poop later in life to restore your health.
They believed that the key to health in the future might be found within the complex ecosystem of the human body.
Researchers wrote that “considering the massive (and possibly lasting) loss of our microbial biodiversity due to industrial advancements, the creation a global microbial Noah’s ark’ is warranted in order to protect the long term health of humanity.”
They said that despite the fact that each person is unique in their gut microbial compositions, it might be worth considering whether creating a personal Noah’s Ark using stool banks for future personal uses might be worthwhile.
Heterologous FMT refers to when the feces of a healthy donor are transplanted into another person to improve their health and restore their gut microbiome. FMT is currently not approved by FDA, however, the agency allows its use in cases where Clostridioides difficile, one of the most common hospital acquired infections, is not responding to standard antibiotic therapy.
Around 100 trillion microorganisms live in the gastrointestinal tract — bacteria, viruses and fungi, among others. They make up the gut microbiome. Evidence is mounting that the gut microbiome has a significant role in both health and disease. It can have an impact on both mental and physical states.
All these microorganisms are carried with stool samples when they are transferred. It is hoped that the microbiota traveling with them will repopulate their home to bring balance and health. Clostridium difficile can be treated with heterologous FMT up to 90%.
Although there is much research to be done on how autologous FMT might help patients, the authors of the paper say that it could be helpful in fighting inflammatory bowel disease, obese, and unhealthy aging. They also suggest that it could be used in rebuilding the patient’s gut microbiome following chemotherapy or heavy antibiotic use.
Christine Kee Liu (an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University) said that she believes an autologous future with FMT is possible. She compared it to storage practices like egg freezing or cord blood banking.
Liu stated that “I believe there are significant hurdles both logically and scientific.” “But I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a viable treatment within the next few decades.” Science and medicine have done the impossible before. Take a look at the Covid-19 vaccines.
It would look like this in practice: A person would collect their stool when they are young and healthy (typically between 18 and 35). The stool would then be stored for later use. Once the stool has been processed and stored it can be ingested in capsules or rectally via enema. It can also be given during colonoscopy.
It is possible for autologous FMT to be used as a treatment or preventative medicine for Clostridioides difficile.
Yang-Yu Liu (the paper’s senior author) stated that in the case of aging autologous FMT might be more effective than heterologous to promote healthy aging. Liu, who is not related to Christine Kee Liu, is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and an assistant scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
A gut with a variety of microbiota is just like a rainforest that thrives because it has biodiversity. A 2022 study found that patients who had less diversity in their gut were more likely than others to develop heart disease. While guts change rapidly when someone reaches adulthood, people who have more diversity in their guts live longer and are healthier.
Research on the gut has increased over the past decade. Many scientists are hopeful that better understanding of the complex relationship between the brain and the gut will lead to more effective treatment options. FDA is particularly interested in microbiome-based products that can prevent, treat, and cure diseases. The FDA could soon approve a microbiome medication to treat Clostridioides difficile infection that is an alternative to FMT. It could be available in the first half 2023.
Some research also suggests that Westernization and urbanization are linked to a loss in microbial diversity. This is because factors like high-fat diets, antibiotics, and a wide range of other medications can have a detrimental effect on the gut and cause disease. This idea is supported by other studies, which show that urban dwellers have a lower diversity of gut bacteria than those who live in traditional villages.
An autologous FMT can also be used to circumvent more general donor-recipient compatibility problems and expand the eligibility group.
OpenBiome is a non-profit organization that was the first American public stool bank to open. The pass rate for screening donors at OpenBiome is just 3%. Although this conservative approach ensures that nothing is left behind with the stool, it also means that there are fewer samples overall. Yang-Yu Liu and co. suggested that donating when someone is young and healthy, and then using their stool as a solution.
