Bmc Med
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The human microbiome is the collection of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live on and in the human organism's skin, mucosa, and intestinal tract. Re-examining commonly accepted ethical standards from the perspective of this new area of research provides an opportunity to reassess our current thinking about research regulations as well as the importance of some principles and distinctions. In this commentary, I explain ethical issues illuminated by research on the human microbiome related to personal identity, privacy, property, research ethics, public health, and biobanks.
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Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an effective treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (rCDI). It restores the disrupted intestinal microbiota and subsequently suppresses C. difficile. The long-term stability of the intestinal microbiota and the recovery of mucosal microbiota, both of which have not been previously studied, are assessed herein. Further, the specific bacteria behind the treatment efficacy are also investigated. ⋯ FMT induces profound microbiota changes, therefore explaining the high clinical efficacy for rCDI. The identification of commonly acquired bacteria could lead to effective bacteriotherapeutic formulations. FMT can affect microbiota in the long-term and offers a means to modify it relatively permanently for the treatment of microbiota-associated diseases.