Scientists probe why poop transplants work for gut infections

NCT ID NCT05739825

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tracks how fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) alters the gut microbiome in 20 adults with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection. Researchers will analyze stool samples before and up to 90 days after FMT to see which bacteria take hold. The goal is to understand why FMT is so effective, not to test a new treatment.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy donors
What this could lead to
If successful, this could help explain why FMT works for recurrent C. difficile infections, potentially leading to better treatments.
What could go wrong
This is a very small, early-stage study (20 people) that only observes microbiome changes. It does not test a new treatment or measure clinical outcomes directly.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 20 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Feb 2023

Expected to finish

Feb 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, treated with FMT

Ages

18 to 90 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection * Age between 18 and 90 years old * Ability to provide written informed consent * Ability to be compliant with the scheduled procedures Exclusion Criteria: * Another known gastrointestinal infection apart from C. difficile infection . Known active gastrointestinal disorders (e.g. infectious gastroenteritis, coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pancreatitis, biliary salt diarrhoea) * Previous colorectal surgery or cutaneous stoma * Current or recent (\< 6 weeks) therapy with drugs that could possibly alter gut microbiota (e.g. antimicrobials, probiotics) * Decompensated heart failure or heart disease with ejection fraction lower than 30% * Severe respiratory insufficiency * Psychiatric disorders * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Unable to give informed consent

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS

    RECRUITING

    Roma, Italy

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