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Pros and cons: Is faecal microbiota transplantation a safe and efficient treatment option for gut dysbiosis?
Author(s) -
Marrs Tom,
Walter Jens
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/all.14750
Subject(s) - dysbiosis , microbiome , medicine , fecal bacteriotherapy , inflammatory bowel disease , immunology , gut flora , disease , immune system , transplantation , intensive care medicine , probiotic , clostridium difficile , bioinformatics , biology , antibiotics , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , genetics
Abstract Faecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) is well established as an effective treatment for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), restoring gut microbiome diversity and function. The utility of FMT is currently being explored in relation to other immune‐mediated pathologies, such as allergic disease, inflammatory bowel diseases and autoimmune diseases. Clinical trials in these areas are ongoing, and the altered gut microbiota (dysbiosis) that is often observed in these pathologies provides a rationale for the application of FMT to restore the microbiome. However, there is controversy on the risk‐benefit ratio as it relates to the use of FMTs in pathologies other than CDI. In this Pro and Con article, we present the arguments for and against the use of FMT in immune‐mediated pathologies, such as allergic disease. We further identify research gaps and recommend how these may be addressed in future studies.