Fecal microbial transplantation, in which healthy bacteria from a donor's gut microbiome are transplanted into another person's colon, is highly experimental. The FDA has approved only one type of FMT treatment in recent years, to treat a bacterial infection called C. diff. Other uses seem promising (perhaps Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome), but research is still in the dark ages and undergoing the treatment comes with some risk. At least two deaths have been linked during clinical trials, but underlying conditions may have played a role. That hasn't stopped some people with chronic illnesses from considering the option, writes Luke Winkie of Slate. His article offers a glimpse inside the fecal black market through HumanMicrobes, a “mysterious and legally questionable website” run by devotees with stomach problems.
“This is the only near-perfect cure for restoring your microbiome,” says owner Michael Harrop (described in the article's headline as “the poop broker”). “This is the end game.” He likens his business to a “Dallas Buyers Club for human waste,” and for $1,000, you can buy a single dose of capsule or freeze-dried poop from a donor who passes a screening process. Harrop acts as the middleman for the exchange. The article presents some anecdotal evidence of its effectiveness for various gut ailments, but Harrop himself has yet to find the right donor for his condition. He may have to wait. His unregulated business is under FDA scrutiny. Read the full story here about what Winkie describes as “a thrilling medical frontier.” (Or check out our other full-length articles.)