But why all the hype about transplanting poo?
And what can it really do?
Fecal transplants are used to treatClostridium difficilecolitis, or C. diff.
“Antibiotics disrupt the community balance.
As a result, you lose diversity.”
For most people, these bacteria communities rebound pretty quickly after the meds are done.
But for other people, the pathogens can’t bounce back.
also produces spores, which travel easily and make the infection quite contagious in configs like hospitals.
Recent strains have also started to become resistant to antibiotics.
This can cause vicious recurrent diarrhea and even death.
But it’s been proven that fecal transplants can cure C. diff.
Where antibiotics fail, a transplant of poop can work wonders.
Transplanting stool with a healthy bacteria population into someone with recurrent C. diff.
helps re-diversify it and clear up the infection.
She likens the rigorous process to donating blood.
Most people prefer the first, Lee says.
“You get to be sedated, and there isn’t that ‘yuck factor.'”
It’s a quick and easy outpatient procedure.
Fecal transplants for C. diff.
have a huge success rate.
After one fecal transplant, there’s an 89 percent chance you’ll be cleared of C. diff.
And it works quickly.
For some, it may take longer.
After eight weeks post-transplant, a stool test is done, and if it’s clear of C.
diff., the transplant is deemed a success, Lee says.
For those who still test positive, doctors might decide to do a second transplant.
The success rate then jumps to 91 percent.
There’s also the potential for transmitting a chronic illness that a donor has yet to show signs of.
We really don’t know the long-term implications yet.
is the only clinical use for fecal transplants approved by the FDA.
All other fecal transplants can only be done in a research setting.
But that could change one day.
Studies are still exploring what else fecal transplants can doparticularly when it comes to altering metabolism.
Some research suggests they may even help manage allergies.
OpenBiome is experimenting with turning the poop into pill form in a way that maintains its effectiveness.
Other researchers are looking into harvesting individual helpful bacteria strains from feces.
