Graft versus host disease in gastrointestinal tract

This phase I trial studies the side effects of using an investigational procedure (fecal microbiota transplantation [FMT]) in treating patients with severe acute gut graft-versus-host-disease. The purpose of a fecal microbiota transplantation is to use feces from a healthy human donor to replace the abnormal gut bacteria in the recipient. One of the side effects of a stem cell transplant is the development of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) in several organs including gut. GvHD is caused by the donated bone marrow or peripheral blood cells recognizing the recipient's body as foreign and attacking it. Acute gut GvHD is one of the leading causes of death after transplant. Recently, studies have shown that patients with reduced intestinal bacterial diversity in their stool during acute gut GvHD have higher overall mortality rates. The information learned from this study may offer FMT as a promising therapy for the treatment of severe acute gut graft-versus-host-disease.

This phase II trial studies how well a fecal microbiota transplant with or without total gut decontamination works in preventing graft versus host disease in patients exposed to broad-spectrum antibiotics. Fecal microbiota transplantation is the administration by enema of fecal matter (stool) that includes helpful bacteria from a normal, healthy donor. Total gut decontamination uses antibiotics to remove/reduce the amount of bacteria in the digestive system. It is not yet known if a fecal microbiota transplant with or without total gut decontamination works better in preventing graft versus host disease compared to standard immunosuppressive therapies (therapies that lower the normal function of the immune system).

Acute graft-versus-host-disease (aGvHD) is a typical complication after allogeneic hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). About 30-60% of patients after ASCT are affected by aGvHD, which constitutes a relevant burden of morbidity and mortality in these patients.
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a therapeutic concept to treat intestinal dysbiosis of various origin by infusion of the stool microbiota of a healthy donor into the gastrointestinal tract (GI) of a patient. FMT can be performed endoscopically by colonoscopic deployment of the donor microbiota into the patient´s caecum and terminal ileum.
Patients with gastrointestinal aGvHD (GI-aGvHD) are known to comprise a significant dysbiotic colonic microbiota that can be attenuated by FMT.