Abstract
Fecal microbiota transplantation has proven to be an effective treatment for infections with the gram-positive enteropathogen Clostridium difficile. Despite its effectiveness, the exact mechanisms that underlie its success are largely unclear. In this review, we highlight the pleiotropic effectors that are transferred during fecal microbiota transfer and relate this to the C. difficile lifecycle. In doing so, we show that it is likely that multiple factors contribute to the elimination of symptoms of C. difficile infections after fecal microbiota transplantation.
Highlights
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), the transfer of fecal material from healthy donors to patients, has been documented already over 1700 years ago for the treatment of gastrointestinal illness in humans
If we look beyond numbers, are there any specific mechanisms that might contribute to the efficacy of FMT? What small molecules have been shown to affect the lifecycle of C. difficile?
Many studies have shown that FMT is an effective treatment in patients with recurrent C. difficile infection (CDI)
Summary
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), the transfer of (processed) fecal material from healthy donors to patients, has been documented already over 1700 years ago for the treatment of gastrointestinal illness in humans. It was suggested that C. difficile expansion following antibiotic treatment initially occurs without toxin production, possibly due to the presence of readily metabolizable nutrient sources such as glucose and sialic acid.
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