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Gut Microbiota Modulation and Fecal Transplantation: An Overview on Innovative Strategies for Hepatic Encephalopathy Treatment

R. Hassouneh, J. Bajaj

Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021

52 citations

Abstract

Simple Summary Treatment of advanced liver disease and its complications continue to be a challenge due to the complexity of this illness. In recent years, the gut microbiome has been recognized to play a beneficial role in our health. Studies have shown that overgrowth of harmful organisms in the gut can contribute to worsened outcomes in liver disease. Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) is an approved and effective treatment in other gastrointestinal conditions. FMT involves the administration of a solution of a fecal suspension from a healthy donor into the intestinal tract of a recipient. This has led researchers to attempt this treatment in liver disease. There have now been small clinical trials showing that FMT is safe and could be effective in improving outcomes in advanced liver disease. There remain several questions to be answered before FMT is implanted in clinical practice, including the best route to administer this treatment, how many doses are needed to achieve a therapeutic response, and how long we need to wait between treatments. In this review paper, we explore the role of the gut microbiome in the human body with emphasis on the gastrointestinal system, how it changes in liver disease, and how we can improve it with fecal microbiota transplant. Abstract Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a major complication of cirrhosis, which is associated with gut microbial composition and functional alterations. Current treatments largely focus on gut microbiota using…

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