Fecal microbiota transplantation to fight Clostridium difficile infections and other intestinal diseases

ABSTRACTWe have analyzed fecal bacterial and viral communities of a patient with recurrent C. difficile infection (rCDI) who was cured by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). The “Zurich Patient” experienced immediate cure and has remained free of symptoms for now over 5 y. Donor-similar bacterial compositions after 4.5 y post-FMT demonstrated sustainable engraftment of donor microbiota predominated by Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes bacteria. Appearance of beneficial species Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Akkermansia municiphila was detected while disease-related Proteobacteria decreased. Stabilization of the microbiota took longer than expected from the rapidly improving clinical symptoms, suggesting the need for longer-lasting patient observation. The virome was mainly composed of Caudovirales bacteriophages but surprisingly also contained sequences related to a Chlorella giant virus that normally infects green algae not known to inhabitate the human intestine. FMT is highly effective against rCDI an...