Latest news with #Cdiff
The Sun
11-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Warning over surge in cases of deadly bacteria in UK that kills one in 10 – check 3 symptoms to watch out for
BRITS have been warned as a deadly bacteria that kills one in 10 sufferers has spiked in the UK. Cases of the "worst diarrhoea ever" are rising - here are three symptoms to watch out for. 2 Clostridioides difficile, otherwise known as C. diff, has killed more than one in 10 cases from 2023 to 2024. Concerned doctors are warning the death toll could continue to soar if action isn't taken. The infection stems from a highly contagious bacterium, which lives in people's bowel. Dr Kerrie Davies of the C. Diff Trust told Metro: "We cannot afford for more patients to be dying of this every year." She said people "can't function" when struck down with the nasty bacteria. "Patients with it tell us how scared they are. It is the worst diarrhoea that you have ever, ever had in your life," added the expert. From February 2024 to January 2025, the UK Health Security Agency received 19,239 reports of C. diff sufferers. This alarming figure is the highest since 2011/12. Huge efforts to tackle the potentially killer bug were taken in 2007, which helped reduce the rate of infections. The most common symptoms to recognise are severe diarrhoea, high temperature and stomach ache. ITV reality star rushed to A&E as she shares worrying hospital bed snaps Stats revealed 2,164 patients died from C. diff from 2023 to 2024, which translates to a 12.9 per cent fatality rate. When it reached it's peak in 2007, over 7,000 people lost their lives. It is actually normal to have C. diff bacteria in your bowel, without experiencing any trouble. However, problems arise when the normal balance is disrupted, and you become infected. And, those who are diagnosed with the bug onCe, are 25 per cent more likely to catch it again. Bizarrely, if you catch it a second time, there's a 40 per cent chance you'll get it a third time. After this, you'll be a staggeringly 60 per cent more likely to be struck down with it again. The risk of death increases with each infection too. Cases have been spiking across all ages and sexes across the UK, but the worst affected group has so far been the elderly. Dr Davies further explained how the medical profession has "taken their eye off the ball" since the Covid pandemic. But the NHS is struggling to keep up with the costs, as each case can cost between £19,000 to £31,000 to treat. The eye-watering sum is partly down to the quarantine precautions required, and isolation of nurses. However, even if people do recover, they're likely to experience long-lasting systems which can continue affecting them forever. Campaigners trying to bring figures down have been calling for the medical industry to do routine tests for C. diff in all patients who come in with diarrhoea. They also argue antibiotics need to stop being overprescribed. Meanwhile, Russell Hope, UKHSA Senior Scientist and Team Lead, said: "UKHSA is working alongside partners, including NHS England, to investigate recent increases in C. difficile cases in hospitals and community settings. "It's likely the current rise is caused by a combination of factors, including an ageing population with multiple illnesses. Work to identify the causes is ongoing and the appropriate public health action will be taken in response to our findings. "C. difficile is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs)." He said the "infections diarrhoea" which can "increase morbidity, mortality and hospital length of stay". The expert warned the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk. Mr Hope explained infections are best managed through "prevention and control" alongside strict monitoring. 2
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust to axe 30 cleaner jobs
A hospital is planning to make cleaners redundant as part of a cost saving BBC has learned that cleaning staff at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) have been told 30 jobs are to go across the trusts two sites at Pembury and cuts are part of wider cost improvement programme at the trust to save more than £70m in 2025/26. A spokesperson for MTW said that no final decisions had been made and that the trust was "committed to engaging with affected staff and unions throughout the process". The redundancy plans have worried families who lost loved ones at the hospital 20 years ago. At least 90 patients died at Maidstone Hospital between 2004 and 2006 in a outbreak. Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a type of bacteria that can cause diarrhoea and can spread quickly in hospitals. A report into the deaths cited a lack of cleanliness as a contributing factor to the family member who's mother-in-law died during the outbreak, told the BBC that cleaners were "vital" to maintain safety standards and to make them redundant was "scandalous". UNISON regional manager Ryan Slaughter said: "Hospitals need more staff, not fewer workers, if delays and waits are to end."Cutting jobs and services will mean patients will have to wait longer to be seen and make staffing levels less added that ministers needed to deal with the "recruitment and retention crisis in the health service". A spokesperson for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said: "We are currently reviewing services across the Trust in line with a national focus on treating more patients, improving efficiencies and ensuring long-term sustainability. During this period, our priority remains the delivery of high quality care to the communities we serve and supporting our staff." Hundreds of NHS workers across the south east are facing uncertainty over their jobs because of a planned government announced in March it wanted integrated care boards (ICBs) to halve their running costs. ICB's are NHS organisations responsible for planning health services for their local Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has said the changes were part of a transformation plan to "tackle inefficiencies and drive up productivity in the NHS".
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Poop transplants' have been happening for decades. Now researchers have identified some unintended consequences
Fecal microbiota transplants are common medical procedures dating back decades that can help restore the gut health of people with colon infections - but scientists now warn of newly discovered consequences from the procedure. The 'poop transplant' is the transfer of the stool of a healthy donor to a recipient. The stool contains beneficial bacteria that can improve the patient's gut bacteria, which guards immune health and helps to regulate metabolism. They are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat people with common C. diff infections that may cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms and inflammation in hospital patients who have been on antibiotics. Roughly 48,000 procedures are done each year. Now, University of Chicago researchers say a study in mice and experiments with human tissue have revealed some long-lasting and unintended consequences due to transplanting microorganisms from only one section of the digestive tract. 'I think it's a bit of a wakeup call to the field that maybe we shouldn't willy-nilly put large bowel microbes into different parts of the intestine that shouldn't be there,' Dr. Orlando 'Landon' DeLeon, postdoctoral researcher at the university, said in a statement. 'If we're designing good therapeutics, we should be aware of the importance of matching the regional microbiota to their proper environments, so that we provide better overall health benefits.' DeLeon is the lead author of the new research, which was published on Friday in the journal Cell. To reach these conclusions, the authors gave three groups of mice transplants of microorganisms from the middle part of the small intestine that connects to the colon, and a standard fecal transplant from the colon. The test showed that the microorganisms from each transplant were able to colonize the entirety of the intestinal tract in the mice -- not just certain regions. This created what they called regional gut mismatches, lasting for up to three months following a transplant. The microbes also altered their new intestinal environments, 'terraforming' the lining in ways that caused changes in the recipient's metabolism, behavior and energy balance. There were shifts in liver metabolism, including activity in genes associated with immune function. The mice also exhibited different eating behaviors. The gut has several distinct regions with vastly different microbial ecosystems. Imbalances in gut bacteria have been tied to a risk of cancer. 'There are microbes along the entire intestinal tract, and we just study predominately the last third of it (the colon),' DeLeon said. 'So, how can you expect [a transplant], with microbes from a third of the intestinal tract at the end of it, to fix the rest of the intestine?' What this means for human patients may be murky right now, but the authors say more caution is needed with the transplants going forward. They advocate for an approach that would transfer microorganism from all regions of the intestine and not just largely from the colon. In the future, they plan to conduct further study related to how different microbes exert their influence in different parts of the intestine and how the gut regions terraformed by microbiota mismatches can be restored. 'We have absolutely no idea what's in FMT, except that it's a combination of microbes,' Dr. Eugene Chang, the Martin Boyer Professor of Medicine at the university and senior author of the study, said. 'But even a single FMT will cause a change in the host-microbe relationships in these very different regions of the bowel that may be very difficult to reverse.'
Associated Press
09-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Acurx Pharmaceuticals Announces Presentation of Results from Leiden University Medical Center Public-Private Partnership for Its DNA pol IIIC Inhibitors at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Scientific Conference
Results are from Acurx's ongoing scientific collaboration with Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) partially under a grant from Health Holland to further study the mechanism of action of DNA pol IIIC inhibitors LUMC highlighted Acurx's new class of promising antimicrobials, ibezapolstat and related analogues Novel chemotype specifically targeting gram-positive bacteria through an unexploited target Ibezapolstat ready to enter pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials for C. difficile Infection (CDI), with no cross resistance reported to date Ibezapolstat has previously been granted FDA QIDP and Fast-Track Designations and has received SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise) designation by the EMA STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Acurx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACXP) ('Acurx' or the 'Company') is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of small molecule antibiotics for difficult-to-treat bacterial infections. Its lead antibiotic candidate, ibezapolstat (IBZ), is ready to advance to international pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials for treatment of patients with C. difficile infection (CDI). The Company today announced that a presentation of a poster and an oral presentation regarding Acurx's overall DNA pol IIIC inhibitor platform was presented at a scientific conference on May 21 by Mia Urem, PhD, from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands entitled: 'A Unique Inhibitor Conformation Selectively Targets the DNA Polymerase PolC of Gram-Positive Priority Pathogens'. This scientific conference is sponsored by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology and is the premier venue for the newest research and technological trends in molecular 'machines' inside the human body that ensure DNA replication and expression of genes to create proteins that make up a cell. The distinctive non-planar conformation of ACX-801 and IBZ, together with high conservation of the induced binding pocket in PolC, suggests that this is a general mechanism for this class of inhibitor and is conserved in Gram-positive bacteria. According to Dr. Wiep Klaas Smits, Associate Professor/Principal Investigator, Leiden University Medical Center: 'Our findings with regards to the structural biology of DNA pol IIIC in complex with inhibitors have important implications for the development of this novel class of antibiotics to treat high priority, multi-drug resistant, gram-positive infections.' Acurx's Executive Chairman, Bob DeLuccia, stated: 'This research outcome provides a deeper understanding of the mechanism of action and selectivity of ibezapolstat in the gut. These data will guide the rational design of new compounds with improved inhibitory activity and drug-like characteristics that will be crucial in addressing the pandemic of antimicrobial resistance.' POSTER AND PRESENTATION ARE ON ACURX WEBSITE About the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Since its inception 20 years ago, this conference has been the premier venue for the newest research and technological trends that aid in studying the molecular 'machines' inside the human body. These biological elements ensure faithful DNA replication and expression of genes to create the many proteins that make up a cell. The Machines on Genes scientific conference covers all aspects that govern the central building blocks of life, DNA replication, transcription, and translation, as well as activities that impact these processes such as DNA repair, DNA editing, and RNA editing. There is special emphasis on how they work, how they interact with one another, and how they may be used as diagnostic tools or as targets for novel therapies. About Leiden University Medical Center Antimicrobial resistant microorganisms are a major threat to global health and pose a significant economic burden. Increasing resistance to multiple agents and resistance to so called last-resort antibiotics underscore the necessity to develop therapeutics that have a novel mode of action. DNA replication is a process that can be successfully targeted by small molecules. Ibezapolstat, an inhibitor of the replicative DNA polymerase pol IIIC from Gram-positive bacteria identified by screening library of dGTP analogues, has shown promising results for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile Infection in a recent Phase 2a clinical trial, but the molecular basis of selective inhibition is not fully characterized as no structural information is available on pol IIIC proteins from pathogens. Ongoing research project will determine the structure of pol IIIC from the multidrug-resistant organisms methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin resistant Enterococci (VRE) and/or penicillin resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) in the absence and presence of lead compounds. These results will reveal the structural space of inhibitor-binding and guide the rational design of inhibitors with optimal pharmacological properties and organism-specificity that will be demonstrated by in vitro polymerase inhibition assays and in vivo minimal inhibitory concentration determination. Leiden University was the first university to be established in the Netherlands. Its motto is praesidium libertatis – bastion of freedom. The University wishes to create an increasingly attractive and challenging working climate for top academics and young researchers that is guided by quality and excellence. Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) research aims to meet the highest international standards of quality and academic integrity. LUMC promotes excellent research through greater collaboration, both disciplinary and interdisciplinary; stronger positioning and greater scope for top talent; and better supervision and more support for young researchers. The presented research was performed in part as a public-private partnership that includes the Dutch Top Sector Life Sciences and Health ('Topconsortium voor Kennis en Innovatie' or 'TKI' Life Sciences and Health) and is represented by Stichting Life Sciences Health – TKI (aka, Health~Holland). This foundation is tasked by the Dutch government to promote and stimulate public-private partnerships (PPPs) to undertake R&D projects in the life sciences. To promote such partnerships, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy has allocated certain funds to Stichting LSH-TKI, to grant allowances to projects under the TKI-programme Life Sciences & Health. Stichting LSH-TKI has designated the Board of Directors of LUMC as delegated grantor for the PPP allowance allocated to the LUMC. Together with Acurx Pharmaceuticals the PPP has led to the research project entitled 'Bad bugs, new drugs: elucidation of the structure of DNA polymerase C of multidrug resistant bacteria in complex with novel classes of antimicrobials.' The collaboration project was co-funded by the PPS Allowance made available by Health~Holland, Top Sector Life Sciences & Health, to stimulate public-private partnerships. Acurx previously announced that it had received positive regulatory guidance from the EMA during its Scientific Advice Procedure which confirmed that the clinical, non-clinical and CMC (Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls) information package submitted to EMA supports advancement of the ibezapolstat Phase 3 program and if the Phase 3 program is successful, supports the submission of a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for regulatory approval in Europe. The information package submitted to EMA by the Company to which agreement has been reached with EMA included details on Acurx's two planned international Phase 3 clinical trials, 1:1 randomized (designed as non-inferiority vs vancomycin), primary and secondary endpoints, sample size, statistical analysis plan and the overall registration safety database. With mutually consistent feedback from both EMA and FDA, Acurx is well positioned to commence our international Phase 3 registration program. The primary efficacy analysis will be performed using a Modified Intent-To-Treat (mITT) population. This will result in an estimated 450 subjects in the mITT population, randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either ibezapolstat or standard- of-care vancomycin, enrolled into the initial Phase 3 trial. The trial design not only allows determination of ibezapolstat's ability to achieve Clinical Cure of CDI as measured 2 days after 10 days of oral treatment, but also includes assessment of ibezapolstat's potential effect on reduction of CDI recurrence in the target population. In the event non-inferiority of ibezapolstat to vancomycin is demonstrated, further analysis will be conducted to test for superiority. About the Ibezapolstat Phase 2 Clinical Trial The completed multicenter, open-label single-arm segment (Phase 2a) study was followed by a double-blind, randomized, active-controlled, non-inferiority, segment (Phase 2b) at 28 US clinical trial sites which together comprise the Phase 2 clinical trial. This Phase 2 clinical trial was designed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of ibezapolstat in the treatment of CDI including pharmacokinetics and microbiome changes from baseline. from study centers in the United States. In the Phase 2a trial segment,10 patients with diarrhea caused by C. difficile were treated with ibezapolstat 450 mg orally, twice daily for 10 days. All patients were followed for recurrence for 28± 2 days. Per protocol, after 10 patients of the projected 20 Phase 2a patients completed treatment (100% cured infection at End of Treatment (10 of 10). In the Phase 2b trial segment, 32 patients with CDI were enrolled and randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either ibezapolstat 450 mg every 12 hours or vancomycin 125 mg orally every 6 hours, in each case, for 10 days and followed for 28 ± 2 days following the end of treatment for recurrence of CDI. The two treatments were identical in appearance, dosing times, and number of capsules administered to maintain the blind. In the Phase 2b trial, the Clinical Cure rate in patients with CDI was 96% (25 out of 26 patients), based on 10 out of 10 patients (100%) in Phase 2a in the Modified Intent to Treat Population, plus 15 out of 16 (94%) patients in Phase 2b in the Per Protocol Population, who experienced Clinical Cure during treatment with ibezapolstat. Notably, in the combined Phase 2 trial, 100% (25 of 25) ibezapolstat-treated patients ) who had Clinical Cure at EOT) (End of Treatment) remained cured through one month after EOT, as compared to 86% (12 of 14) for the vancomycin patient group. Ibezapolstat was well-tolerated, with no serious adverse events assessed by the blinded investigator to be drug- related. The Company is confident that based on the pooled Phase 2 ibezapolstat Clinical Cure rate of 96%, Sustained Clinical Cure Rate of 100% and the historical vancomycin Clinical Cure Rate range of 70% to 92% and a Sustained Clinical Cure historical range of 42% to 74%, we will demonstrate non-inferiority of ibezapolstat to vancomycin in Phase 3 trials, in accordance with the applicable FDA Guidance for Industry (October 2022), with favorable differentiation in both Clinical Cure and Sustained Clinical Cure. In the Phase 2 clinical trial (both trial segments), the Company also evaluated pharmacokinetics (PK) and microbiome changes and test for anti-recurrence microbiome properties, including the change from baseline in alpha diversity and bacterial abundance, especially overgrowth of healthy gut microbiota Actinobacteria and Firmicute phylum species during and after therapy. Phase 2a data demonstrated complete eradication of colonic C. difficile by day three of treatment with ibezapolstat as well as the observed overgrowth of healthy gut microbiota, Actinobacteria and Firmicute phyla species, during and after therapy. Very importantly, emerging data show an increased concentration of secondary bile acids during and following ibezapolstat therapy which is known to correlate with colonization resistance against C. difficile. A decrease in primary bile acids and the favorable increase in the ratio of secondary-to-primary bile acids suggest that ibezapolstat may reduce the likelihood of CDI recurrence when compared to vancomycin. The company also reported positive extended clinical cure (ECC) data for ibezapolstat (IBZ), its lead antibiotic candidate, from the Company's recently completed Phase 2b clinical trial in patients with CDI. This exploratory endpoint showed that 5 of 5 IBZ patients followed for up to three months following Clinical Cure experienced no recurrence of infection. Furthermore, ibezapolstat-treated patients showed lower concentrations of fecal primary bile acids, and higher beneficial ratio of secondary to primary bile acids than vancomycin-treated patients. About Ibezapolstat Ibezapolstat is the Company's lead antibiotic candidate planning to advance to international Phase 3 clinical trials to treat patients with C. difficile infection. Ibezapolstat is a novel, orally administered antibiotic, being developed as a Gram-Positive Selective Spectrum (GPSS®) antibacterial. It is the first of a new class of DNA polymerase IIIC inhibitors under development by Acurx to treat bacterial infections. Ibezapolstat's unique spectrum of activity, which includes C. difficile but spares other Firmicutes and the important Actinobacteria phyla, appears to contribute to the maintenance of a healthy gut microbiome. In June 2018, ibezapolstat was designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) for the treatment of patients with CDI and will be eligible to benefit from the incentives for the development of new antibiotics established under the Generating New Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Act. In 2019, FDA granted 'Fast Track' designation to ibezapolstat for the treatment of patients with CDI. The CDC has designated C. difficile as an urgent threat highlighting the need for new antibiotics to treat CDI. About Clostridioides difficile Infection According to the 2017 Update (published February 2018) of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for C. difficile Infection by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and Society or Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), CDI remains a significant medical problem in hospitals, in long-term care facilities and in the community. C. difficile is one of the most common causes of health care- associated infections in U.S. hospitals (Lessa, 2015, NEJM). Recent estimates suggest C. difficile approaches 500,000 infections annually in the U.S. and is associated with approximately 20,000 deaths annually. (Guh, 2020, NEJM. Based on internal estimates, the recurrence rate for the antibiotics currently used to treat CDI is between 20% and 40% among approximately 150,000 patients treated. We believe the annual incidence of CDI in the U.S. approaches 600,000 infections and a mortality rate of approximately 9.3%. About the Microbiome in C. difficile Infection and Bile Acid Metabolism C. difficile can be a normal component of the healthy gut microbiome, but when the microbiome is thrown out of balance, the C. difficile can thrive and cause an infection. After colonization with C. difficile, the organism produces and releases the main virulence factors, the two large clostridial toxins A (TcdA) and B (TcdB). (Kachrimanidou, Microorganisms 2020.) TcdA and TcdB are exotoxins that bind to human intestinal epithelial cells and are responsible for inflammation, fluid and mucous secretion, as well as damage to the intestinal mucosa. Bile acids perform many functional roles in the GI tract, with one of the most important being maintenance of a healthy microbiome by inhibiting C. difficile growth. Primary bile acids, which are secreted by the liver into the intestines, promote germination of C. difficile spores and thereby increase the risk of recurrent CDI after successful treatment of an initial episode. On the other hand, secondary bile acids, which are produced by normal gut microbiota through metabolism of primary bile acids, do not induce C. difficile sporulation and therefore protect against recurrent disease. Since ibezapolstat treatment leads to minimal disruption of the gut microbiome, bacterial production of secondary bile acids continues which may contribute to an anti-recurrence effect. Beneficial effects of bile acids include a decrease in primary bile acids and an increase in secondary bile acids in patients with CDI, which was observed in the Company's Ph2a trial results and previously reported (Garey, CID, 2022). In the Ph2b trial, ibezapolstat-treated patients showed lower concentrations of fecal primary bile acids, and higher beneficial ratio of secondary to primary bile acids than vancomycin-treated patients. About Acurx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Acurx Pharmaceuticals is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a new class of small molecule antibiotics for difficult-to-treat bacterial infections. The Company's approach is to develop antibiotic candidates with a Gram-positive selective spectrum (GPSS®) that blocks the active site of the Gram-positive specific bacterial enzyme DNA polymerase IIIC (pol IIIC), inhibiting DNA replication and leading to Gram-positive bacterial cell death. Its R&D pipeline includes antibiotic product candidates that target Gram-positive bacteria, including Clostridioides difficile, methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin resistant Enterococcus (VRE), drug- resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (DRSP) and B. anthracis (anthrax; a Bioterrorism Category A Threat-Level pathogen). Acurx's lead product candidate, ibezapolstat, for the treatment of C. difficile Infection is Phase 3 ready with plans in progress to begin international clinical trials next year. The Company's preclinical pipeline includes development of an oral product candidate for treatment of ABSSSI (Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections), upon which a development program for treatment of inhaled anthrax is being planned in parallel. To learn more about Acurx Pharmaceuticals and its product pipeline, please visit Forward-Looking Statements Any statements in this press release about our future expectations, plans and prospects, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, prospects, plans and objectives, and other statements containing the words 'believes,' 'anticipates,' 'plans,' 'expects,' and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: whether ibezapolstat will benefit from the QIDP designation; whether ibezapolstat will advance through the clinical trial process on a timely basis; whether the results of the clinical trials of ibezapolstat will warrant the submission of applications for marketing approval, and if so, whether ibezapolstat will receive approval from the FDA or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies where approval is sought; whether, if ibezapolstat obtains approval, it will be successfully distributed and marketed; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in the Company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward- looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Acurx disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements, except as may be required by law. Investor Contact: Acurx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; David P. Luci, President & CEO Tel: 917-533-1469; Email: [email protected] View original content: SOURCE Acurx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
‘Poop transplants' have been happening for decades. Now researchers have identified some unintended consequences
Fecal microbiota transplants are common medical procedures dating back decades that can help restore the gut health of people with colon infections - but scientists now warn of newly discovered consequences from the procedure. The 'poop transplant' is the transfer of the stool of a healthy donor to a recipient. The stool contains beneficial bacteria that can improve the patient's gut bacteria, which guards immune health and helps to regulate metabolism. They are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat people with common C. diff infections that may cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms and inflammation in hospital patients who have been on antibiotics. Roughly 48,000 procedures are done each year. Now, University of Chicago researchers say a study in mice and experiments with human tissue have revealed some long-lasting and unintended consequences due to transplanting microorganisms from only one section of the digestive tract. 'I think it's a bit of a wakeup call to the field that maybe we shouldn't willy-nilly put large bowel microbes into different parts of the intestine that shouldn't be there,' Dr. Orlando 'Landon' DeLeon, postdoctoral researcher at the university, said in a statement. 'If we're designing good therapeutics, we should be aware of the importance of matching the regional microbiota to their proper environments, so that we provide better overall health benefits.' DeLeon is the lead author of the new research, which was published on Friday in the journal Cell. To reach these conclusions, the authors gave three groups of mice transplants of microorganisms from the middle part of the small intestine that connects to the colon, and a standard fecal transplant from the colon. The test showed that the microorganisms from each transplant were able to colonize the entirety of the intestinal tract in the mice -- not just certain regions. This created what they called regional gut mismatches, lasting for up to three months following a transplant. The microbes also altered their new intestinal environments, 'terraforming' the lining in ways that caused changes in the recipient's metabolism, behavior and energy balance. There were shifts in liver metabolism, including activity in genes associated with immune function. The mice also exhibited different eating behaviors. The gut has several distinct regions with vastly different microbial ecosystems. Imbalances in gut bacteria have been tied to a risk of cancer. 'There are microbes along the entire intestinal tract, and we just study predominately the last third of it (the colon),' DeLeon said. 'So, how can you expect [a transplant], with microbes from a third of the intestinal tract at the end of it, to fix the rest of the intestine?' What this means for human patients may be murky right now, but the authors say more caution is needed with the transplants going forward. They advocate for an approach that would transfer microorganism from all regions of the intestine and not just largely from the colon. In the future, they plan to conduct further study related to how different microbes exert their influence in different parts of the intestine and how the gut regions terraformed by microbiota mismatches can be restored. 'We have absolutely no idea what's in FMT, except that it's a combination of microbes,' Dr. Eugene Chang, the Martin Boyer Professor of Medicine at the university and senior author of the study, said. 'But even a single FMT will cause a change in the host-microbe relationships in these very different regions of the bowel that may be very difficult to reverse.'
