Faecal Microbiota Transplantation in Ulcerative Colitis v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Faecal Microbiota Transplantation in patients with newly diagnosed recto-sigmoid Ulcerative Colitis
IRAS ID
164584
Contact name
Dean Harris
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
R&D Manager at NHS Wales - ABMU Health Board
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 6 months, 2 days
Research summary
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, relapsing debilitating form of inflammatory bowel disease. The UK incidence is 10 per 100,000 people annually with a prevalence of 240 per 100,000, most commonly affecting young adults (15 to 25 years old). The cause is unknown, but is considered to result from immunologically mediated aggressive T-cell response to a subset of commensal enteric bacteria in genetically susceptible hosts. There is no cure; management is focused on suppression of inflammation through lifelong medical therapy, or surgical colectomy.
Evidence suggests that there is a reduced diversity of luminal microbiota in IBD, with a decrease in Firmicutes such as bifidobacteria, lactobacillus and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and an increase in mucosal-adherent bacteria (Sartor 2008).
It is proposed that Ulcerative colitis is caused by a bacteria or group of bacteria within the microbiome interacting with genetically susceptible individuals to cause chronic relapsing inflammation of the colon. Identifying particular bacteria as the causative factor or even group of bacteria would be very difficult due to the large numbers of species found in the human gut and the difficulties of accurately identifying this huge diversity of bacterial species. However it is not necessary to work out which bacteria are involved if it is possible to completely change the bacterial profile of the colon.
For over five decades fresh faecal enemas or faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been used in the treatment of C. difficile colitis with good results. FMT promotes intestinal ecological restoration and highlights the microbiota as a viable therapeutic target (Adamu & Lawley). Grehan et al 2010 in their paper report durable alteration of the colonic microbiota through administration of faecal flora on colonoscopy and using PCR-DGGE to show the change of the microbiota following FMT and remained stable for 24 weeks.REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
15/WA/0262
Date of REC Opinion
21 Sep 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion