Microbes determine the success or failure of fecal transplantation in diabetic patients

small clinical trial in the Netherlands found that transplanting thin man's faeces temporarily improved insulin tolerance in obese men - but only half of the subjects responded. After further investigation, the researchers found that the success or failure of treatment could be predicted by analyzing the composition of fecal bacteria in each patient. This helps with the development of personalized fecal transplants for diabetics. The paper was published recently
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we have found that people can be classified based on stool samples. "This allows us to classify diseases more sensitively, " says Max Nieuwdorp of the Department of Internal Medicine and Vascular Medicine at the University of Amsterdam. In
randomized controlled trial, researchers recruited 38 obese men with metabolic syndrome with symptoms including high blood pressure, high blood sugar and excess fat. They also recruited 11 thin donors with healthy gut bacteria. The researchers took blood and stool samples and randomly paired obese men with donors.
, half of the participants showed an improvement in insulin sensitivity after transplanting fecal material, while the other half showed no change. The researchers compared samples of gut microbes from two groups of people before treatment and found that people who did not respond had lower bacterial diversity in the gut at first. However, these are only short-term changes. Three months later, all the recipients' microbiomes returned to their original state.
new study, we can gain a deeper understanding of the interactions between the gut microbiome and human metabolism. Nieuwdorp said.
results could also help researchers predict the success of fecal transplants. If the recipient's stool samples are pre-screened, the treatment becomes more personalized. "We are beginning to see that by supplementing missing strains of gut bacteria, it may help treat patients," Nieuwdorp said. (Source: Science.com