Fecal microbiota transplantation alleviates gastrointestinal and autism symptoms by improving gut microbiota in an open-label study

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol., October 19, 2021| https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2021.759435

Commentary

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is described as a severe brain development disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive, stereotyped behavior.

Accumulating evidence in this regard suggests that gut microbiota disorders play an important role in the gastrointestinal symptoms and neurodevelopmental dysfunction of ASD patients.

Manipulation of the gut microbiota by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) holds promise for the treatment of a variety of diseases, and in this study, a clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of FMT on gastrointestinal (GI) and ASD symptoms and gut microbiota changes in children with ASD. Results showed significant differences in baseline characteristics of behavior, GI symptoms, and gastrointestinal symptoms.

FMT had the potential to improve GI and ASD symptoms without causing serious complications, and significantly altered serum levels of neurotransmitters.

In addition, we observed that FMT could promote colony formation of donor microorganisms and shift the bacterial community of children with ASD to that of TD controls.