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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Gastroenterol.
Sec. Therapy in Gastroenterology
Volume 3 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fgstr.2024.1411898

Awareness and Acceptability of Gut Microbiome Transfer

Provisionally accepted
Ry Y. Tweedie-Cullen Ry Y. Tweedie-Cullen 1Brooke C. Wilson Brooke C. Wilson 1José G. Derraik José G. Derraik 1,2Benjamin Albert Benjamin Albert 1,3Keri Opai Keri Opai 4Taygen Edwards Taygen Edwards 1Justin M. O'Sullivan Justin M. O'Sullivan 1,5Wayne S. Cutfield Wayne S. Cutfield 1,3*
  • 1 The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
  • 2 Department of Paedatrics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
  • 3 A Better Start National Science Challenge, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
  • 4 Independent researcher, Tarananki, New Zealand
  • 5 Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Faculty of Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Gut microbiome transfer (GMT or faecal microbiome transfer) is gaining increasing attention as a potential treatment for a range of medical conditions. However, public awareness and acceptance is not well understood. We undertook a nationwide online survey to better understand the public perception of microbiome transfer in New Zealand. We designed and distributed an anonymous online survey between 2022-2023. Inclusion criteria were age ≥16 years and resident in New Zealand. The survey was distributed via social media advertising, posters in public areas, e-mail newsletters, and a survey facilitation company. 2441 completed surveys were analysed. Most respondents (71%) had a tertiary education, 59% were female, with 62% NZ European, 12% Māori, and 3% Pacific peoples. Our findings identified a high level of awareness and acceptability, with most respondents (76%) having heard of it and 96% of respondents signalling they would consider a microbiome transfer if proven efficacious for a health condition that they had. High levels of acceptance were observed across all ethnicities. Encapsulated oral FMT treatment was the preferred transfer method. Primary concerns related to the diet, health and screening of stool donors and demonstration of safety and efficacy. Our findings will help inform health professionals and researchers about the public's needs and preferences regarding GMT.

    Keywords: FMT, Public Opinion, gastroeneterology, Survey, microbiome

    Received: 03 Apr 2024; Accepted: 12 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Tweedie-Cullen, Wilson, Derraik, Albert, Opai, Edwards, O'Sullivan and Cutfield. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Wayne S. Cutfield, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.