As the children's book says, everybody poops and a group of London-based scientists are hopeful there are at least some individuals who would be willing to donate their feces to a new study.
Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University have been examining whether fecal transplants are a suitable treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Caused by obesity, NAFLD leaves many patients with increased intestinal permeability which triggers inflammation, increased fat in the liver, insulin resistance, and elevated levels of triglycerides in the blood.
“Intestinal permeability plays a role in the development of metabolic syndrome which is a major cause of coronary and cerebrovascular disease. It has also been associated with autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus and type 1 diabetes,” Dr. Michael Silverman, an associate scientist at Lawson and Western professor, said in a news release.
In order to reduce that intestinal permeability, Silverman and his team decided to try to change the gut microbiome of NAFLD patients. In a trial involving 21 patients from London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph’s Health Care London researchers performed fecal transplants. Some of the participants had fecal matter from a healthy donor placed in their small intestine, while the rest were treated with a placebo - the patient's own stool.
Patients were then monitored over a six month period.
Researchers found patients who had received a donation from a healthy subject showed a significant reduction in intestinal permeability and positive changes to the gut microbiome. Their findings could also mean fecal transplants could be used to treat other conditions, including some autoimmune diseases.
The team now plans to further test their findings through a large multi-centre trial.
“In order to conduct this research, we need stool donors,” said Silverman. “By donating your poop, you can help us assess the value of fecal transplants to treat a variety of diseases.”
Anyone willing to provide a stool donation is asked to contact Dr. Seema Nair Parvathy, research coordinator of the Fecal Transplant Program, at 519-646-6100 ext. 61726.
All potential donors will be required to go through a screening process.
Results of the controlled trial were published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Fecal transplants have previously been used to treat Clostridioides difficile.
