The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review
The bilateral interaction between the brain and the gut has recently been on the spectrum of researchers’ interests, including complex neural, endocrinological, and immunological signaling pathways. The first case reports and clinical studies have already reported that delivering microbes through fe...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Microorganisms |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1290 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849425815642570752 |
|---|---|
| author | Ignazio Maniscalco Piotr Bartochowski Vittoria Priori Sidonia Paula Iancau Michele De Francesco Marco Innamorati Natalia Jagodzinska Giancarlo Giupponi Luca Masucci Andreas Conca Magdalena Mroczek |
| author_facet | Ignazio Maniscalco Piotr Bartochowski Vittoria Priori Sidonia Paula Iancau Michele De Francesco Marco Innamorati Natalia Jagodzinska Giancarlo Giupponi Luca Masucci Andreas Conca Magdalena Mroczek |
| author_sort | Ignazio Maniscalco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The bilateral interaction between the brain and the gut has recently been on the spectrum of researchers’ interests, including complex neural, endocrinological, and immunological signaling pathways. The first case reports and clinical studies have already reported that delivering microbes through fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) may alleviate symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Therefore, modifying the gut microbiota through FMT holds promise as a potential treatment for psychiatric diseases. This scoping review assessed studies from PubMed related to FMT in autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The evaluation included nine clinical studies and case reports. The beneficial and persistent effect on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms has been reported. Also, an increased microflora diversity and altered levels of neurometabolites in serum were identified, albeit with a tendency to return to baseline over time. The microbiome–gut–brain axis could provide new targets for preventing and treating psychiatric disorders. However, a recent large randomized clinical trial has shed light on the previously collected data and suggested a possible contribution of the placebo effect. This highlights the necessity of large randomized double-blind studies to reliably assess the effect of FMT in ASD. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-652d2ced8a1943a8a35d750da63375b4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj-art-652d2ced8a1943a8a35d750da63375b42025-08-20T03:29:39ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-05-01136129010.3390/microorganisms13061290The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping ReviewIgnazio Maniscalco0Piotr Bartochowski1Vittoria Priori2Sidonia Paula Iancau3Michele De Francesco4Marco Innamorati5Natalia Jagodzinska6Giancarlo Giupponi7Luca Masucci8Andreas Conca9Magdalena Mroczek10Department of Psychiatry, Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of Paracelsus Medical, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyBC2M, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, FranceDepartment of Psychiatry, Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of Paracelsus Medical, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyResidence School in Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Psychiatry, Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of Paracelsus Medical, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyDepartment of Health and Life Sciences, European University of Rome, 00163 Roma, ItalySchool of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UKDepartment of Psychiatry, Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of Paracelsus Medical, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyMicrobiology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Medicine, 00168 Roma, ItalyDepartment of Psychiatry, Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of Paracelsus Medical, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyDepartment of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, SwitzerlandThe bilateral interaction between the brain and the gut has recently been on the spectrum of researchers’ interests, including complex neural, endocrinological, and immunological signaling pathways. The first case reports and clinical studies have already reported that delivering microbes through fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) may alleviate symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Therefore, modifying the gut microbiota through FMT holds promise as a potential treatment for psychiatric diseases. This scoping review assessed studies from PubMed related to FMT in autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The evaluation included nine clinical studies and case reports. The beneficial and persistent effect on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms has been reported. Also, an increased microflora diversity and altered levels of neurometabolites in serum were identified, albeit with a tendency to return to baseline over time. The microbiome–gut–brain axis could provide new targets for preventing and treating psychiatric disorders. However, a recent large randomized clinical trial has shed light on the previously collected data and suggested a possible contribution of the placebo effect. This highlights the necessity of large randomized double-blind studies to reliably assess the effect of FMT in ASD.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1290microbiotaFMTfecal microbial transplantationASDautism spectrum disorders |
| spellingShingle | Ignazio Maniscalco Piotr Bartochowski Vittoria Priori Sidonia Paula Iancau Michele De Francesco Marco Innamorati Natalia Jagodzinska Giancarlo Giupponi Luca Masucci Andreas Conca Magdalena Mroczek The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review Microorganisms microbiota FMT fecal microbial transplantation ASD autism spectrum disorders |
| title | The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review |
| title_full | The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review |
| title_short | The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review |
| title_sort | effects of fecal microbial transplantation on the symptoms in autism spectrum disorder gut microbiota and metabolites a scoping review |
| topic | microbiota FMT fecal microbial transplantation ASD autism spectrum disorders |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1290 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ignaziomaniscalco theeffectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT piotrbartochowski theeffectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT vittoriapriori theeffectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT sidoniapaulaiancau theeffectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT micheledefrancesco theeffectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT marcoinnamorati theeffectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT nataliajagodzinska theeffectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT giancarlogiupponi theeffectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT lucamasucci theeffectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT andreasconca theeffectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT magdalenamroczek theeffectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT ignaziomaniscalco effectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT piotrbartochowski effectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT vittoriapriori effectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT sidoniapaulaiancau effectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT micheledefrancesco effectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT marcoinnamorati effectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT nataliajagodzinska effectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT giancarlogiupponi effectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT lucamasucci effectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT andreasconca effectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview AT magdalenamroczek effectsoffecalmicrobialtransplantationonthesymptomsinautismspectrumdisordergutmicrobiotaandmetabolitesascopingreview |