Fecal 'Transplant' to Cure Gut Infection?

In small study, new treatment was more effective than antibiotic on hard-to-treat bacteria

January 16, 2013 RSS Feed Print

But Keller estimates that the procedure would cost more than the average colonoscopy because the physician must be involved in donor selection and counseling. "The procedure takes about one-and-a-half to two hours, but I schedule only 30 minutes for a colonoscopy," he explained.

For those for whom the whole idea of stool donation remains difficult to embrace, Keller sums it up: "It's the most powerful probiotic you can imagine, introducing healthy flora [into an unhealthy environment]."

The research may offer promising solutions to a wide range of gastrointestinal problems. "This study suggests an exciting new branch of human therapeutics, called microbiome research, which may help treat people with inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic disorders like obesity and irritable bowel syndrome," Kelly said.

More information

Learn more about C. difficile intestinal infections from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.