The human gut is home to a large and diverse microbial community, comprising about 1,000 bacterial species. The gut microbiota exists in a symbiotic relationship with its host, playing a decisive ...role in the host's nutrition, immunity and metabolism. Accumulating studies have revealed the associations between gut dysbiosis or some special bacteria and various cancers. Emerging data suggest that gut microbiota can modulate the effectiveness of cancer therapies, especially immunotherapy. Manipulating the microbial populations with therapeutic intent has become a hot topic of cancer research, and the most dramatic manipulation of gut microbiota refers to fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy individuals to patients. FMT has demonstrated remarkable clinical efficacy against Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and it is highly recommended for the treatment of recurrent or refractory CDI. Lately, interest is growing in the therapeutic potential of FMT for other diseases, including cancers. We briefly reviewed the current researches about gut microbiota and its link to cancer, and then summarized the recent preclinical and clinical evidence to indicate the potential of FMT in cancer management as well as cancer‐treatment associated complications. We also presented the rationale of FMT for cancer management such as reconstruction of intestinal microbiota, amelioration of bile acid metabolism, and modulation of immunotherapy efficacy. This article would help to better understand this new therapeutic approach for cancer patients by targeting gut microbiota.
Stress is a non-specific response of the body when suffering from internal or external factors. It is involved in the development and progression of many physical and mental diseases such as ...irritable bowel syndrome, functional gastrointestinal diseases, anxiety and depression. It is the main cause of non-combat attrition. Gut microbiota can regulate the body's metabolism, immune and nervous system development and functions through the gut microbiota-gut-brain axis and affect the health and behavior. The interaction between its composition and function and stress-related diseases is gradually being revealed. The intervention and regulation of gut microbiota may become a new solution to prevent and treat stress-related diseases and participate in influencing the reaction of military personnel to military stress. This review focuses on the research progress of stress-related mechanisms, gut microbiota characteristics and related intervention research, the study status of military stress-related and gut microbio
The respiratory tract is a complex organ system that is responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The human respiratory tract spans from the nostrils to the lung alveoli and is ...inhabited by niche-specific communities of bacteria. The microbiota of the respiratory tract probably acts as a gatekeeper that provides resistance to colonization by respiratory pathogens. The respiratory microbiota might also be involved in the maturation and maintenance of homeostasis of respiratory physiology and immunity. The ecological and environmental factors that direct the development of microbial communities in the respiratory tract and how these communities affect respiratory health are the focus of current research. Concurrently, the functions of the microbiome of the upper and lower respiratory tract in the physiology of the human host are being studied in detail. In this Review, we will discuss the epidemiological, biological and functional evidence that support the physiological role of the respiratory microbiota in the maintenance of human health.
A practical handbook on fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for physicians, nurses, physician assistants, students, residents, and fellows,
The 6 Ds of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: A Primer ...from Decision to Discharge and Beyond
provides a clinical framework to understand and administer this treatment as safely and effectively as possible.
FMT has emerged as a promising treatment for C. difficile infection (CDI), and there is a major need for educational resources on the topic. Drs. Jessica Allegretti, Zain Kassam, and their expert contributors are leaders in the field and have collectively cared for thousands of patients suffering from recurrent CDI who have benefitted from FMT.
This guide provides practical tools, clinical pearls, and answers to frequently asked questions. Beginning with introductory information on the microbiome and exploring the history of FMT,
The 6 Ds of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation
outlines a step-by-step checklist for administering FMT:
Decision: Who is the right CDI patient to receive FMT? What clinical questions should you ask patients in your FMT clinical assessment?
Donor: How do you select and screen a donor for FMT?
Discussion: What are the risks, benefits, and alternatives that need to be discussed with patients?
Delivery: What is the best delivery method for FMT-colonoscopy, nasogastric tube, enema, or capsules?
Discharge and follow-up: What is the ideal post-FMT care? How should you council patients following FMT?
Discovery: What are the most promising emerging clinical applications for FMT? What is the evidence for FMT in obesity, autism, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and liver disease?
Arming healthcare professionals with the ability to answer questions from patients regarding FMT and the microbiome,
The 6 Ds of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation
provides a pragmatic guide for this exciting treatment.
Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an important therapeutic option for
infection. Promising findings suggest that FMT may play a role also in the management of other disorders associated with ...the alteration of gut microbiota. Although the health community is assessing FMT with renewed interest and patients are becoming more aware, there are technical and logistical issues in establishing such a non-standardised treatment into the clinical practice with safety and proper governance. In view of this, an evidence-based recommendation is needed to drive the practical implementation of FMT. In this European Consensus Conference, 28 experts from 10 countries collaborated, in separate working groups and through an evidence-based process, to provide statements on the following key issues: FMT indications; donor selection; preparation of faecal material; clinical management and faecal delivery and basic requirements for implementing an FMT centre. Statements developed by each working group were evaluated and voted by all members, first through an electronic Delphi process, and then in a plenary consensus conference. The recommendations were released according to best available evidence, in order to act as guidance for physicians who plan to implement FMT, aiming at supporting the broad availability of the procedure, discussing other issues relevant to FMT and promoting future clinical research in the area of gut microbiota manipulation. This consensus report strongly recommends the implementation of FMT centres for the treatment of
infection as well as traces the guidelines of technicality, regulatory, administrative and laboratory requirements.
The gut microbiome regulates a number of homeostatic mechanisms in the healthy host including immune function and gut barrier protection. Loss of normal gut microbial structure and function has been ...associated with diseases as diverse as Clostridioides difficile infection, asthma, and epilepsy. Recent evidence has also demonstrated a link between the gut microbiome and sepsis. In this review, we focus on three key areas of the interaction between the gut microbiome and sepsis. First, prior to sepsis onset, gut microbiome alteration increases sepsis susceptibility through several mechanisms, including (a) allowing for expansion of pathogenic intestinal bacteria, (b) priming the immune system for a robust pro-inflammatory response, and (c) decreasing production of beneficial microbial products such as short-chain fatty acids. Second, once sepsis is established, gut microbiome disruption worsens and increases susceptibility to end-organ dysfunction. Third, there is limited evidence that microbiome-based therapeutics, including probiotics and selective digestive decontamination, may decrease sepsis risk and improve sepsis outcomes in select patient populations, but concerns about safety have limited uptake. Case reports of a different microbiome-based therapy, fecal microbiota transplantation, have shown correlation with gut microbial structure restoration and decreased inflammatory response, but these results require further validation. While much of the evidence linking the gut microbiome and sepsis has been established in pre-clinical studies, clinical evidence is lacking in many areas. To address this, we outline a potential research agenda for further investigating the interaction between the gut microbiome and sepsis.