Microbiome leader Prof. Borody at China FMT Conference calls for Investment in Faecal Transplant Clinical Trials to Fight Serious Diseases

May 16, 2017 09:00 JST

Source: Centre for Digestive Diseases (CDD)

NANJING, CHINA, May 16, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - A future where faecal transplants in China will cure conditions like autism, IBD, arthritis, Parkinson's disease and even MS was presented by global Faecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) leader Professor Thomas Borody (MD, PhD) in his keynote presentation on non Clostridium difficile conditions, to open the international China Microbiota Transplantation Conference in Nanjing (April 12-14, 2017).

Prof. Thomas Borody, Founder and Medical Director, Centre for Digestive Diseases (CDD), Sydney, Australia

Prof. Borody (r) and China's FMT leader Professor Faming Zhang, Director, Intestinal Diseases Center, 2nd Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University

Professor Borody, the Founder and Medical Director of the Centre for Digestive Diseases (CDD) in Sydney, Australia said many diseases have a unique microbiome profile which can be progressively changed to a normal profile with FMT treatment. At the state-of-the-art CDD facility, Prof. Borody and his team have performed more than 12,000 FMTs.

Prof. Borody is at the forefront of FMT research, being the first to report successful treatment of IBD in 1988. He invented, among other therapies, the freeze-dried oral FMT capsule system. He is also recognized as the first physician to successfully formulate the highly effective Triple Therapy that would become the gold standard for treating Helicobacter pylori infection, which can lead to peptic ulcers and stomach cancer, so common in China.

In his keynote presentation, Prof. Borody also shared findings from recent ground-breaking clinical trials in IBD and autism, which he personally designed and remained involved in, as examples of the need for greater FMT clinical trial investment in serious diseases:

-- The FOCUS Study - the first adequately powered randomized double blind controlled trial for ulcerative colitis
-- The Autism Study - where cognitive improvement change was found after just 5 weeks of treatment

He said more research funding was needed to bring FMT treatment into the mainstream medical world. "The healthy human flora or its components, appears to be the most complete probiotic treatment available today, capable of eradicating 'bad' bacteria and spores and supplying 'good' bacteria for recolonization of the damaged gut microbiome," said Prof. Borody.

Prior to the conference Prof. Borody visited the FMT Bank in Nanjing with China's FMT leader Professor Faming Zhang, who was the first to perform FMT in China and has carried out over 1600 treatments to date. Prof. Borody has collaborated closely with Professor Faming Zhang, who is the Director of Intestinal Diseases Center at the 2nd Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University.

Like the US and Australia, China is facing increasing challenges around the management of diseases, many with rising incidence including IBD, Parkinson's disease, MS, and many autoimmune conditions.

About:
What is Faecal Microbiota Transplantation

The human bowel contains a complex population of bacteria known as the gut microbiota. These organisms and the chemicals they produce can affect the bowel and the body as a whole, and these effects can have both positive and negative impacts on a person's health. The human gut microbiota protects us from pathogenic or 'bad' bacteria.

FMT involves the infusion of healthy human donor faecal bacteria via colonoscope or enema into a bowel that contains abnormal bacteria that are making the bowel 'sick'. This infusion process can be a single infusion or it can be repeated over a period of time, depending on the severity of the patient's condition.

The use of healthy human flora appears to be the most complete probiotic treatment available today, capable of eradicating 'bad' bacteria and spores and supplying 'good' bacteria for recolonisation of the gut in certain conditions.

The Centre for Digestive Diseases offers FMT primarily for the treatment of Clostridium difficile and treats selected patients with ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel sydrome, constipation and Crohn's disease. Other conditions are assessed on a case by case basis.

About:
Prof. Thomas Borody
BSc (MED) (HONS), MBBS (HONS), MD, PhD, DSc, FRACP, FACG, FACP, AGAF
Medical Director, Gastroenterologist (www.cdd.com.au)

Prof. Thomas Borody is the founder and Medical Director of CDD. His keen interest in medical research led to the establishment of the Centre to provide both diagnostic procedures and effective treatments.

Prof. Borody has published over 250 articles and abstracts. His knowledge and expertise has been sought after by patients from around the world. He is a reviewer for numerous medical journals and has developed novel therapies in gastrointestinal areas such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Parasite infestation, ulcer disease and resistant Helicobacter pylori and C. difficile. Prof. Borody continues to conduct research in order to improve current therapies and develop new treatments.

Contact:
Susan Fitzpatrick-Napier
Digital Mantra Group
Team@dmgpr.com
SG +65 6809 3869
AU +61 2 8218 2144
USA +1 650 798 5238

Source: Centre for Digestive Diseases (CDD)
Sectors: BioTech, Healthcare & Pharm