Microbiota Transplant Therapy (MTT) for Autism - Prof. Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown & Dr. Khemlal Nirmalkar

ABSTRACT: Many individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience chronic gastrointestinal (GI) problems such as constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain that are often resistant to standard treatments. Recent studies suggest that an imbalance in gut bacteria may contribute to digestive and behavioral challenges through the gut-brain connection. Microbiota Transplant Therapy (MTT) is a specialized form of fecal microbiota transplantation designed to restore the gut ecosystem with beneficial bacteria. It involves introducing gut microbes from carefully screened donors to rebalance the intestinal microbiome. The Objective is to improve GI and ASD related symptoms by improving the gut microbiome (mainly bacteria and their metabolites). With MTT, we modified the microbiome of children with autism in an open-label clinical trial. With the microbiome modification, bacterial metabolites in feces and blood, gastro-intestinal symptoms and behavior improved significantly, and most improvements remained two years after treatment. We are looking at microbes, pathways, genes, and metabolites, which likely contributed to the trial’s success and can lead to biomarkers or targets for treatment. We will present data of this initial exciting trial and summarize microbial and metabolite results on a double-blind placebo controlled MTT trial with adults with ASD.