Partnership with OpenBiome
The University of Minnesota Microbiota Therapeutics Program has partnered with OpenBiome, a non-profit organization operating in Boston, to provide safe microbiota transplant to patients suffering with recurrent and refractory Clostridioides difficile infections. Read more about our partnership.
Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis in an inflammatory disease of the colon. It affects ~ 500,000 people in the US alone. Ulcerative colitis is associated with a different microbial composition in the colon, although it is not clear whether that is the result or the cause of inflammation. It may be both. The clinical interventional trials are led by Dr. Byron Vaughn Link to Clinical Trial
Post-FMT diet in recurrent C. difficile infection
Patients commonly ask what they should be eating after receiving FMT in treatment of recurrent C. difficile infections. We are currently conducting a clinical trial that tests two different post-FMT diets in patients treated for recurrent C. difficile infections. This trial is led by Drs. Levi Teigen and Alexander Khoruts. Link to Clinical Trial
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disease that can affect different parts of the gastrointestinal tract. We are developing microbiota-based therapeutics to target the gut microbiome in different challenging situations caused by Crohn’s disease. The clinical interventional trials are led by Dr. Byron Vaughn. Link to Clinical Trial
Checkpoint Inhibitor Colitis
One possible complication of immunotherapy is checkpoint inhibitor colitis, which is a type of inflammatory bowel disease. Development of this condition can interfere with life-saving immunotherapy against cancer. There are provocative reports that this condition can be ameliorated by transferring microbiota from healthy donors into patients. Dr. Amit Kulkarni is leading a clinical trial of microbiota transplant therapy in checkpoint inhibitor colitis.
AML and Bone Marrow Transplant Patients
Treatment of leukemia and stem cell transplantation involve harsh chemotherapy that destroys the immune system and damages the gut. We hypothesize that normalization of the gut microbes via microbiota transplant therapy may mitigate these problems. Drs. Armin Rashidi and Shernan Holtan led the placebo-controlled clinical trials to test the safety of microbiota transplant therapy in AML and HSCT patients. Link to Clinical Trial
Food Allergies
Dr. Rima Rachid at the Boston Children’s Hospital is leading the clinical trials investigating microbiota transplant therapy for food allergies. Patients with food allergies have been shown to have an altered composition of gut microbiome. Understanding of these mechanisms is critical to development of microbiota-based therapies for food allergies. Link to Clinical Trial
Pitt Hopkins Syndrome
Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a rare, genetic, neurological disorder resulting from a mutation in the TCF4 gene. TCF4 plays important roles in nervous system physiology and development. Children with PTHS have intellectual disability, speech delay, and decreased muscle tone. Dr. James Adams is leading the clinical trials of MTT for PTHS. Link to Clinical Trial
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Dr. James Adams at the Arizona State University has pioneered microbiota transplant therapy for autism spectrum disorders. An early trial has shown remarkable promise of MTT for the potential to improve the gastrointestinal symptoms and behavioral problems of patients with autism. Follow-up placebo-controlled trials are nearing completion, and the results are being analyzed. Link to Clinical Trial
Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
Dr. Jasmohan Bajaj at the Virginia Commonwealth University has previously observed that fecal microbiota transplantation correlated with a reduction in alcohol cravings in patients with alcohol-associated liver disease. This observation is now being followed up in an NIH-funded placebo-controlled trial using microbiota transplant therapy. Link to Clinical Trial
Graphic attributions
Children's drawings from the 2022-2023 kindergarten class at St. Charles Borromeo