Fecal transplantation

Abstract

Fecal transplantation or fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) represents a therapeutic approach that has been applied in early Chinese medicine for diarrhea and has only recently found the way into medicine. However, while it is an intriguing concept that a disease such as Clostridium difficile-associated colitis can be “cured” by the FMT with a transferred intestinal microbiota, it became at the same time apparent that several factors have to be considered. While the data for C. difficile-associated colitis are based on a placebo-controlled trial, the data for many other indications including inflammatory bowel diseases are less clear. Thus, there is the risk of transferring potential infectious disease as well as phenotypic properties such as obesity. Consequently, the donor screening has to be clearly defined. The present book chapter will summarize the development of the field over the last decade and will provide an outlook about possible innovations in the foreseeable future.