Gut bacteria cocktail tested as cancer treatment booster
NCT ID NCT03838601
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether a defined mixture of live gut bacteria from a healthy donor (MET-4) is safe and can be detected in patients with advanced oropharyngeal cancer receiving standard chemoradiation. Thirty participants took the bacteria by mouth daily for up to four weeks. The main goals were to check for side effects and to see if the bacterial strains could be found in stool samples. This is an early feasibility study, not designed to measure cancer outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Microbial Ecosystem Therapeutics (MET-4) - a defined mixture of live gut bacteria from a healthy donor
What this could lead to
If successful, this could show that adding specific gut bacteria to standard cancer treatment is safe and may help understand how the microbiome affects treatment outcomes.
What could go wrong
This is a very small, early feasibility study with only 30 participants. It is designed mainly to check safety and whether the bacteria can be detected, not to prove any benefit against cancer.
Disclaimer
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the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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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.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Canada