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.
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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
Locations
-
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Canada
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