Why You Might Want Someone Else's Poop Inside You

TL;DR

Doctors are exploring the potential of fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs) to treat various diseases by altering the gut microbiome, with early results showing promise for infections, autoimmune disorders, and more.

Transcript

[ ♩ INTRO ♩ ] Donating your blood or bone marrow could save someone’s life. So, too, could donating your poop. And if you’re among the 3% of prospective donors that makes the cut, you could be paid $40 a pop—or a plop, I guess—to donate your feces. It’s not really the poop doctors are after, but the bacteria in it, so that they can perform fecal mi... Read More

Key Insights

• 🦧 FMTs involve transferring bacteria from healthy donor feces to modify the recipient's gut microbiome.
• 🦠 Stool banks like OpenBiome screen and pay donors, but strict testing is necessary to prevent infections and unknown microbe transfers.
• ♋ FMTs have been successful in treating Clostridium difficile infections, but their potential extends to treating autoimmune diseases, ulcerative colitis, Parkinson's disease, obesity, and colon cancer.
• 😋 Some doctors and patients are hesitant due to the ick factor and concerns about pathogen transfer.
• 😤 The team behind rePOOPulate is developing an artificial stool substitute containing specific bacterial species.
• 🤩 FMTs are worth further study as the gut microbiome may hold the key to treating diseases that have perplexed doctors.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs)?

FMTs involve transferring bacteria from healthy donor feces to a recipient's gut to modify the recipient's microbiome.

Q: Why are stool banks picky about donations?

Stool banks rigorously test potential donors for infections and diseases that can be transmitted through FMTs, as well as check the composition of their gut microbiome.

Q: How are FMTs performed?

FMTs can be performed through enemas, colonoscopy devices, nasoenteric tubes, or in capsule form for patients to swallow.

Q: What diseases can FMTs potentially treat?

FMTs have shown success in treating Clostridium difficile infections, and research suggests they may be beneficial for autoimmune diseases, ulcerative colitis, Parkinson's disease, obesity, and colon cancer.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs) involve transferring bacteria from healthy donor feces to a recipient's gut to alter their microbiome.

• Stool banks, like OpenBiome, screen and pay potential donors for their poop, but strict testing is necessary due to possible transfer of infections and unknown microbe transmissions.

• FMTs show success in treating Clostridium difficile infections, and studies suggest they could be beneficial in treating autoimmune diseases, ulcerative colitis, Parkinson's disease, obesity, and colon cancer.