In November 2016, Jane Dudley waited expectantly in her kitchen. As she stood there, she felt a mix of emotions, some nervousness, a bit of disgust, a touch of hope and a great deal of “what have I got to lose?” Her husband, Alexander, walked in and handed her his own fecal matter. She took the feces and popped them into her blender, adding in some saline solution before flicking the switch and watching as the machine whizzed into action.
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is what it sounds like: A process where feces and its associated bacteria is generally transferred from one person to another. The goal is to take the good bacteria from a healthy donor and use it to repopulate the gut of someone who is considered to have an unhealthy microbiome.
FMT has been around since the fourth century, where China used to treat severe diarrhea and food poisoning. It might sound a little (or a lot) disgusting, but it’s an area of growing research. Researchers are studying FMT as a possible treatment for obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, gut and metabolic disorders and now, mental disorders.
