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World J Gastroenterol. Apr 7, 2014; 20(13): 3468-3474
Published online Apr 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i13.3468
Published online Apr 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i13.3468
Restoring the gut microbiome for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases
Jessica R Allegretti, Matthew J Hamilton, Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
Author contributions: All authors contributed to this work.
Correspondence to: Matthew J Hamilton, MD, Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115, United States. mjhamilton@partners.org
Telephone: +1-617-7326389
Received: September 28, 2013
Revised: November 27, 2013
Accepted: February 26, 2014
Published online: April 7, 2014
Revised: November 27, 2013
Accepted: February 26, 2014
Published online: April 7, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Advances into the understanding of the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have highlighted the importance of a dysbiosis in the intestinal microbiome. A perturbed microbiota with loss of colonization resistance is a main driver of Clostridium difficile infection and exciting new data exists that microbial restoration through the use of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is highly successful. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that FMT will have therapeutic efficacy in IBD. Preliminary studies that have evaluated FMT for IBD are reviewed with an emphasis on subpopulations that may benefit the most. The limitations and unknowns for this novel therapy are also discussed.