Faecal (or intestinal) microbiota transplant: a tool for repairing the gut microbiome.

Faecal/intestinal microbiota transplant (FMT/IMT) is an efficacious treatment option for recurrent infection, which has prompted substantial interest in FMT's potential role in the management of a much broader range of diseases associated with the gut microbiome. Despite its promise, the success rates of FMT in these other settings have been variable. This review critically evaluates the current evidence on the impact of clinical, biological, and procedural factors upon the therapeutic efficacy of FMT, and identifies areas that remain nebulous.

Gut Microbiota Modulation of Efficacy and Toxicity of Cancer Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy.

Accumulating evidence supports not only the functional role of the gut microbiome in cancer development and progression but also its role in defining the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents (5-fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide, irinotecan, oxaliplatin, gemcitabine, methotrexate) and immunotherapeutic compounds (anti-programmed death-ligand 1/anti-programmed cell death protein 1 and anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4). This evidence is supported in numerous in vitro, animal, and clinical studies that highlight the importance of microbial mechanisms in defining therapeutic responses. The microbiome therefore shapes oncologic outcomes and is now being leveraged for the development of novel personalized therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment.

Assessing the clinical value of faecal bile acid profiling to predict recurrence in primary Clostridioides difficile infection.

Background: Factors influencing recurrence risk in primary Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) are poorly understood, and tools predicting recurrence are lacking. Perturbations in bile acids (BAs) contribute to CDI pathogenesis and may be relevant to primary disease prognosis.

Aims: To define stool BA dynamics in patients with primary CDI and to explore signatures predicting recurrence METHODS: Weekly stool samples were collected from patients with primary CDI from the last day of anti-CDI therapy until recurrence or, otherwise, through 8 weeks post-completion.

The potential utility of fecal (or intestinal) microbiota transplantation in controlling infectious diseases.

The intestinal microbiota is recognized to play a role in the defense against infection, but conversely also acts as a reservoir for potentially pathogenic organisms. Disruption to the microbiome can increase the risk of invasive infection from these organisms; therefore, strategies to restore the composition of the gut microbiota are a potential strategy of key interest to mitigate this risk. Fecal (or Intestinal) Microbiota Transplantation (FMT/IMT), is the administration of minimally manipulated screened healthy donor stool to an affected recipient, and remains the major 'whole microbiome' therapeutic approach at present.

The Intestinal Barrier and Its Dysfunction in Patients with Metabolic Diseases and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents an increasing cause of liver disease worldwide, mirroring the epidemics of obesity and metabolic syndrome. As there are still no licensed medications for treating the disease, there is an ongoing effort to elucidate the pathophysiology and to discover new treatment pathways. An increasing body of evidence has demonstrated a crosstalk between the gut and the liver, which plays a crucial role in the development and progression of liver disease.

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonisation in adult inpatients: A point prevalence study.

Background: Infections caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) have been increasing worldwide in recent years, but data regarding the prevalence and clinical significance of CPE colonisation in South Africa is not well documented. Local private hospital groups have implemented routine screening programmes for selected high-risk patients as endorsed by the South African Society for Clinical Microbiology. This practice is not routinely performed in the public sector.