Researchers in London, Ont., are recruiting people with anorexia nervosa for a clinical trial investigating whether fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) capsules can help treat the eating disorder by restoring healthy gut bacteria. The study is being led by researchers at London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph’s Health Care London and Western University. “There appears to be a direct link between the gut microbiome and how the brain functions,” said Dr. Elizabeth Osuch, a psychiatrist at London Health Sciences Centre, researcher at LHSCRI and professor at Western University. The trial will examine whether FMT capsules can improve the gut microbiome, nutritional health and food-related decision-making in people living with anorexia nervosa. Osuch said researchers believe chemical signals travelling between the gut and brain may influence emotional processing and behaviour. She said the team hopes that introducing healthy donor microbiota through FMT capsules could improve gut health while also supporting healthier nutrition and self-perception. Researchers say anorexia nervosa is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that causes people to have a distorted perception of their body weight and can lead to severe food restriction and excessive exercise. Researchers have also found that people with anorexia nervosa often experience disruptions in their gut microbiome, which they believe may be linked to how individuals think about food and body image. “Some of the first early studies done with microbiome were when they took a microbiome from an obese mouse and put it in a lean mouse,” said microbiologist Jeremy Burton. “The lean mouse put on a lot of weight so we know the microbiome plays a really important role.” Burton said they’ve noticed patients with Anorexia have “abnormal gut microbiome” which could be linked to their relationship with food “There’s lots of links now between the gut and the brain,” said Burton. The study builds on work by Lawson’s fecal microbiota transplant program, which developed capsules specifically for the trial. The team screens stool donors and processes suitable samples into tasteless, odourless capsules. Participants in the trial will take the capsules, complete questionnaires and provide stool samples before and after treatment. Researchers will monitor them over time to assess the effects of the intervention. FMT is already an approved treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile, commonly known as C. difficile, an infection that affects the colon. Researchers have also been involved in studies exploring its potential use in cancer care. What’s required The study is seeking to recruit 20 research participants. To be eligible, participants must be:
