Synthetic Stool Stymies Stubborn C. Difficile

A number of sources today reports that fake feces may fight Clostridium difficile infection just as well as the real thing, researchers found. In a small proof-of-concept trial, two patients with refractory C. difficile infection got back to regular bowel movements within 2 or 3 days of receiving a substitute stool mixture, and remained symptom-free at 6 months, Elaine Petrof, MD, of Kingston General Hospital in Ontario, and colleagues reported online in Microbiome. The synthetic stool was comprised of 33 bacterial strains cultured from the feces of a healthy donor. Compared with a standard fecal transplant, having a cleaner culture can eliminate viruses and pathogens and lets the clinician control the type of bacteria given.  Comment: while this very small test is highly encouraging and needs replicating it would certainly remove many of the concerns of Lehman about swallowing someone else’s feces, even if enclosed in a capsule.
Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG - Category: Epidemiologists Authors: Tags: epidemiology infectious diseases Technology Translational Research Source Type: blogs