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Review
. 2019 Nov 25:12:1756284819891038.
doi: 10.1177/1756284819891038. eCollection 2019.

Gaps in knowledge and future directions for the use of faecal microbiota transplant in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

Mehmet Yalchin  1 , Jonathan P Segal  2 , Benjamin H Mullish  3 , Mohammed Nabil Quraishi  4 , Tariq H Iqbal  4 , Julian R Marchesi  3 , Ailsa L Hart  2
Affiliations
Review

Gaps in knowledge and future directions for the use of faecal microbiota transplant in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

Mehmet Yalchin et al. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) has now been established into clinical guidelines for the treatment of recurrent and refractory Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Its therapeutic application in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is currently at an early stage. To date, there have been four randomized controlled trials for FMT in IBD and a multitude of observational studies. However, significant gaps in our knowledge regarding optimum methods for FMT preparation, technical aspects and logistics of its administration, as well as mechanistic underpinnings, still remain. In this article, we aim to highlight these gaps by reviewing evidence and making key recommendations on the direction of future studies in this field. In addition, we provide an overview of the current evidence of potential mechanisms of FMT in treating IBD.

Keywords: faecal microbiota transplantation; inflammatory bowel disease; microbiota.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Summary of FMT gaps in IBD. FMT, faecal microbiota transplant; GI, gastrointestinal; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease, ND, nasoduodenal; NG, nasogastric; NJ, nasojejunal.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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