The UK are trialling the use of faecal transplants as a treatment for liver disease on a large scale, using the very aptly-named ‘crapsules’.
Led by a team of researchers at King’s College London, the ‘Promise’ trial will use ‘crapsule’ pills made up of freeze-dried stool samples from healthy volunteers, and test them on liver disease patients for 21 months to see if it will reduce the likelihood of them developing a deadly infection.
Dr Lindsey Edwards, who is leading the trial, told the BBC that infections are “a death sentence to liver patients” and sufferers are at a “high risk” of developing resistance to treatment drugs.
What do the new trails involve?
The new trials in the UK have been launched after the success of a small trial, which was announced at a conference in Vienna.
32 people had undergone faecal transplants as part of that study, and patients with advanced liver cirrhosis were delivered the poo transplant to their stomachs from a tube down their nose.
After three months, it was found that their gut bacteria had increased, and in particular, the levels of good bacteria had been boosted.
The new UK-wide Promise trial will recruit 300 people from 16 sites around the country, and each person randomly allocated either the transplant capsules or a placebo, to be taken every three months for two years.
Chief investigator of the Promise trial, Professor Debbie Shawcross from King’s College, says: “This trial provides evidence that a faecal transplant can improve gut health by modifying the gut microbiome and reduce ammonia levels in patients with cirrhosis.
She says that the initial findings are promising news for patients with chronic liver disease.
With liver disease being the third leading cause of premature death in the UK, it’s hoped that this trial could revolutionise the lives of those suffering.