The Gut-Brain Study

Summary

The purpose of this study is to find out if transplant of fecal matter (stool), also known as fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), from a healthy person into the intestines of children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For this study children between the ages of 5-17years will be recruited over 2 years. Children will be recruited who receive an ASD diagnosis using the gold-standard Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule -2 (ADOS-2) using module 1, 2 or 3 (none, limited or no moderate expressive language). Children diagnosed with these modules of the ADOS-2 may be at greater risk for GI disorders and rigid-compulsive behaviors. Additional assessment of rigid-compulsive behaviors and social communication will be done using the Repetitive Behavioral Scales-Revised (RBS-R) and Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2), respectively. KBIT (the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test) is used at baseline to obtain patient IQ. Total evaluation time is approximately 90 minutes. Following baseline symptom evaluation, a medical exam will be performed to determine whether each child is expressing specific GI symptoms. In addition, parents will fill out the Questionnaire for Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms- Rome III (QPGS-III). Once an ASD diagnosis is confirmed, FMT treatment will be initiated, which typically occurs within 4-6 weeks of the initial diagnosis. Half 50% of the children (n=5) will receive the equivalent of 50 g of stools from a healthy donor into the jejunum through upper endoscopy and the other 50% off children (n=5) will receive Saline solution as Placebo control through upper endoscopy. Subjects will have a total of 5 visits within 24 weeks including phone call follow up on Day 7 after FMT.

Timeline

Start

2019-08-15

Primary completion

2026-03

Completion

2026-06

Publications

• Background Kang DW, Adams JB, Gregory AC, Borody T, Chittick L, Fasano A, Khoruts A, Geis E, Maldonado J, McDonough-Means S, Pollard EL, Roux S, Sadowsky MJ, Lipson KS, Sullivan MB, Caporaso JG, Krajmalnik-Brown R. Microbiota Transfer Therapy alters gut ecosystem and improves gastrointestinal and autism symptoms: an open-label study. Microbiome. 2017 Jan 23;5(1):10. doi: 10.1186/s40168-016-0225-7.
• Background Luna RA, Oezguen N, Balderas M, Venkatachalam A, Runge JK, Versalovic J, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Anderson GM, Savidge T, Williams KC. Distinct Microbiome-Neuroimmune Signatures Correlate With Functional Abdominal Pain in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2016 Dec 11;3(2):218-230. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2016.11.008. eCollection 2017 Mar.
• Background Gorrindo P, Williams KC, Lee EB, Walker LS, McGrew SG, Levitt P. Gastrointestinal dysfunction in autism: parental report, clinical evaluation, and associated factors. Autism Res. 2012 Apr;5(2):101-8. doi: 10.1002/aur.237.
• Background Gorrindo P, Lane CJ, Lee EB, McLaughlin B, Levitt P. Enrichment of elevated plasma F2t-isoprostane levels in individuals with autism who are stratified by presence of gastrointestinal dysfunction. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 3;8(7):e68444. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068444. Print 2013.
• Background Yao MD, von Rosenvinge EC, Groden C, Mannon PJ. Multiple endoscopic biopsies in research subjects: safety results from a National Institutes of Health series. Gastrointest Endosc. 2009 Apr;69(4):906-10. doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2008.05.015. Epub 2009 Jan 10.
• Background Hamilton MJ, Weingarden AR, Sadowsky MJ, Khoruts A. Standardized frozen preparation for transplantation of fecal microbiota for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. Am J Gastroenterol. 2012 May;107(5):761-7. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2011.482. Epub 2012 Jan 31.
• Background Finegold SM. Therapy and epidemiology of autism--clostridial spores as key elements. Med Hypotheses. 2008;70(3):508-11. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2007.07.019. Epub 2007 Sep 29.
• Background Finegold SM. State of the art; microbiology in health and disease. Intestinal bacterial flora in autism. Anaerobe. 2011 Dec;17(6):367-8. doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2011.03.007. Epub 2011 Apr 16.

Drugs

Indications