The Power of Poo
Faecal Transplant
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The vast ecosystem of bacteria in our gut, the microbiome, is essential for healthy living. However, disturbances of the microbiome are also at the core of many modern diseases, including type 2 diabetes, metabolic liver disease, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis).
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In Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis the microbiome is disturbed, with dominance by bacteria that cause inflammation and diminished amount and activity of bacteria that promote healing. These bacterial changes cause activation of our immune system, with resulting tissue damage and a sore bowel.
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The traditional approach to treating these conditions is to use immune suppressing drugs to decrease the body’s response that causes inflammation. However, a novel alternative therapeutic approach is to directly tackle the cause of these diseases, by changing the microbiome so that it is less “inflammatory” and more balanced, closer to the healthy normal microbiome. The simplest approach to do this is to introduce healthy microbiome into the gut of someone with IBD.
Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), commonly known as a "poo transplant," involves delivering healthy people’s stool directly into a patient's intestine to treat a disease.
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The donor stool undergoes rigorous screening to ensure that no infections or diseases are transferred by FMT to the patient. FMT can be delivered to the gut using endoscopy of the upper or lower gut or using capsules.
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​In our world-first FOCUS study, faecal transplant was effective in treating patients with ulcerative colitis, many of whom were resistant to standard drug therapies. Subsequent laboratory studies revealed which bacteria, viruses and fungi were important in producing benefit.
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The FOCUS study received major global and national awards, and was published in the world’s top clinical journal, the Lancet. The laboratory work was published in the world’s top medical scientific journals.
Faecal transplant is a promising novel therapy that is safe and harnesses the power of our gut organisms to restore health.
Going forward
Our team of clinical researchers and scientists are investigating whether FMT is effective in treating Crohn’s disease in the landmark MIRO (Microbial Restoration) program. Laboratory studies will determine which transferred bugs are responsible for treatment benefit or failure, and what the characteristics are of people whose poo is the most effective.
CLINICAL GROUP
PROFESSOR MICHAEL KAMM
PROFESSOR OF
GASTROENTEROLOGY
The University of Melbourne,
St Vincent’s Hospital
ASSOC. PROFESSOR CHAMARA BASNAYAKE
GASTROENTEROLOGIST
The University of Melbourne, St Vincent's Hospital
ASSOC. PROFESSOR EMILY WRIGHT
GASTROENTEROLOGIST
The University of Melbourne, St Vincent's Hospital
DR. SASHA FEHILY
GASTROENTEROLOGIST
The University of Melbourne, St Vincent's Hospital
DR. DECLAN CONNOLEY​
RESEARCH FELLOW
​The University of Melbourne, St Vincent's Hospital
DR. AMY WILSON-O'BRIEN
CLINICAL SCIENTIST
The University of Melbourne,
St Vincent’s Hospital
DR. AMY HAMILTON
CLINICAL SCIENTIST
The University of Melbourne,
St Vincent’s Hospital
ERIN RUSSELL
CLINICAL AND RESEARCH DIETITIAN
The University of Melbourne, St Vincent's Hospital
ELISE MARKS
RESEARCH NURSE
St Vincent’s Hospital
SCIENTIFIC GROUP
PROFESSOR MARK MORRISON
PROFESSOR OF MICROBIOLOGY
The Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland
DR. JULIE DAVIES
RESEARCH FELLOW
St Vincent’s Institute
EVE GRAY
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
St Vincent’s Institute