Autologous Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (Auto-FMT) for Prophylaxis of Clostridium Difficile Infection in Recipients of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Autologous Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (Auto-FMT) for Prophylaxis of Clostridium Difficile Infection in Recipients of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Autologous Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (Auto-FMT) for Prophylaxis of Clostridium Difficile Infection in Recipients of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

The purpose of this study is to see if fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) will prevent the future development of CDI. This is also known as fecal bacteriotherapy or stool transplant.

This is a randomized, open-label, controlled study designed to assess the efficacy of autologous fecal microbiota transplantation (auto-FMT) for prevention of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in patients who have undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Patients will be enrolled prior to allo-HSCT; feces will be collected and stored from all participating subjects prior to the initiation of conditioning regimens, analyzed by deep 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and tested by assay for intestinal pathogens including Clostridium difficile. Later in the course of transplantation, following engraftment (defined as the first day of three consecutive days, that the absolute blood neutrophil count is at above f 500 mm3), subjects will undergo fecal testing for presence of Bacteroidetes by 16S PCR. Subjects will be eligible for study if they have a microbiologically diverse pre-transplant colonic microbiota, and if the post-engraftment specimen contains Bacteroidetes at a prevalence equal to or below (0.1%)

Prior to transplant hospitalization, store feces for testing and possible future use. Patients undergo fecal microbiota transplantation with the subject's stored pre-transplantation feces. The post-engraftment Bacteroidetes testing, randomization, and fecal microbiota transplantation procedure should all be performed within a 28-day window, beginning on the first day of engraftment. In the event that engraftment occurs prior to day +7, the 28-day window will start on day +7. Subjects from both arms will be followed for one year after transplantation for development of CDI, which will be treated by their BMT clinicians per the standards of care at MSKCC. Subjects from both arms will also be assessed for infections and graft-versus-host disease. During the follow-up period, fecal specimens will be collected serially, if feasible, until one year post randomization and analyzed for microbial diversity and composition.

Subjects from both arms will be followed for one year after randomization for development of CDI, which will be treated by their primary BMT clinician per the standards of care at MSKCC. Subjects from both arms will also be assessed by their BMT clinicians for infections and graft-versus-host disease. During the follow-up period, fecal specimens will be collected serially if feasible until one year post randomization and analyzed for microbial diversity and composition.

CDI is defined as diarrheal stool (unformed stool conforming to the shape of a specimen container), and a positive test for toxin-producing C. difficile (either by toxin B gene PCR or cytotoxicity assay).

Inclusion Criteria: Planned to undergo allo-HSCT Age ≥ 18 years Exclusion Criteria: As determined by the study investigators or consenting professionals, prolonged antibiotic treatment, as prevention or suppression of an ongoing infection, where treatment involves gut-perturbing antianaerobic antibiotics Has severe colitis of any etiology or a history of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Taur Y, Jenq RR, Ubeda C, van den Brink M, Pamer EG. Role of intestinal microbiota in transplantation outcomes. Best Pract Res Clin Haematol. 2015 Jun-Sep;28(2-3):155-61. doi: 10.1016/j.beha.2015.10.013. Epub 2015 Oct 22.