The idea of donating your stool may sound unsavory or even bizarre, but it can actually help patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease. “A stool donation can be just as valuable as a blood donation ,” summarizes Prof. Andreas Stallmach, director of the Clinic for Internal Medicine IV at the Jena University Hospital (UKJ) and an experienced gastroenterologist.
There is no causal therapy for patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease A new therapeutic approach that the specialists at the UKJ are pursuing as part of a study funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is the administration of capsules with prepared, healthy feces. In order to produce these, the UKJ needs regular and, above all, healthy stool donors.
But why is stool needed for treatment?
The microbiome in our intestines, consisting of countless bacteria, not only supports our digestion. It also contributes significantly to immune defense. “The microbiome is a real super organ,” says Stallmach. “But it is also a sensitive ecosystem, which means that the diversity and abundance of the bacteria are what make it so. If this ecosystem is disturbed, i.e. there are not enough diverse bacteria present, it does not function properly.” The composition of the microbiome is also changed in people with chronic inflammatory bowel disease. The question is therefore: Can good intestinal bacteria from healthy people have a beneficial effect on the disease? “Initial studies already suggest this,” says Stallmach. “It is therefore also crucial that the donated stool actually comes from healthy people.”
Who can donate chair?
Eligible stool donors are people between the ages of 18 and 60 who are healthy and do not take any medication , especially antibiotics . The requirements are very similar to those for blood donors.
Potential stool donors are also intensively screened:
Those interested first fill out a questionnaire as a small preliminary check and are then invited to the clinic for a thorough, approximately one-hour examination, including blood sampling and stool collection. If everything is OK here, the first stool donation can take place. Another health check follows after eight weeks. Stool donation is possible up to four times a week. In return, donors receive a collection container to take home and receive an expense allowance of 30 euros per donation. “However, there can be a maximum of one hour between the bowel movement and the delivery at the UKJ, which is why donors from Jena and the surrounding area are primarily suitable,” says Stallmach. If you are interested, send an email with the subject “Stool donation” to arndt.steube@med.uni-jena.de.
Gentle form of therapy for sick people
Capsules are made from the stool in the UKJ pharmacy for affected patients all over Germany, which they take twice a day. This dosage form is unique and gentle. Previously, stool transfer was carried out via a nasal tube or during a colonoscopy. “We don’t want to put our chronically ill patients through that,” explains Stallmach. Therapy with the capsules lasts around three months. “We assume that the therapy works well in 30 to 40 percent of patients.”
Source: German health portal
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