Dissecting mechanisms of fecal microbiota transplantation efficacy in disease

• Published in: Trends in molecular medicine Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 209 - 222
• Main Authors: Andary, Catherine M., Al, Kait F., Chmiel, John A., Gibbons, Shaeley, Daisley, Brendan A., Parvathy, Seema Nair, Maleki Vareki, Saman, Bowdish, Dawn M.E., Silverman, Michael S., Burton, Jeremy P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2024
• Subjects: bioenergetics; dysbiosis; fecal microbiota transplantation; gut microbiota; bioenergetics; fecal microbiota transplantation; gut microbiota; dysbiosis
• ISSN: 1471-4914; 1471-499X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.12.005

The networks of the gut microbiome facilitate cross-feeding between microbial components that have direct effects on the host.Changes in the abundance of microorganisms or metabolites contribute to the pathogenesis of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, inflammatory bowel diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancer.Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an emerging experimental therapy with potential to treat various microbiome-associated disorders, although the mechanisms underlying its potential success remain unknown.Current theories propose that FMT success lies in the ability of its transferred microbes to resist pathogen colonization or exert immunomodulatory effects on the host.Unraveling the effects of fecal components and trans-kingdom interactions in the efficacy of FMT therapies will allow for personalized treatment of microbiome-associated diseases.
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as an alternative or adjunct experimental therapy for microbiome-associated diseases following its success in the treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (rCDIs). However, the mechanisms of action involved remain relatively unknown. The term ‘dysbiosis’ has been used to describe microbial imbalances in relation to disease, but this traditional definition fails to consider the complex cross-feeding networks that define the stability of the microbiome. Emerging research transitions toward the targeted restoration of microbial functional networks in treating different diseases. In this review, we explore potential mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of FMT and future therapeutic applications, while revisiting definitions of ‘dysbiosis’ in favor of functional network restoration in rCDI, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), metabolic diseases, and cancer.
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as an alternative or adjunct experimental therapy for microbiome-associated diseases following its success in the treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (rCDIs). However, the mechanisms of action involved remain relatively unknown. The term ‘dysbiosis’ has been used to describe microbial imbalances in relation to disease, but this traditional definition fails to consider the complex cross-feeding networks that define the stability of the microbiome. Emerging research transitions toward the targeted restoration of microbial functional networks in treating different diseases. In this review, we explore potential mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of FMT and future therapeutic applications, while revisiting definitions of ‘dysbiosis’ in favor of functional network restoration in rCDI, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), metabolic diseases, and cancer.