Podcast 207: Fecal transplants, the gut microbiome and future medical care

All previous editions are available at podcasts.jwatch.org.

I overheard this week’s guest, Zain Kassam, discussing his work at OpenBiome a few weeks ago. All those microbes in our intestines seem destined to play an important role in the future of medical care. Right now, fecal transplants are used against Clostridium difficile infection.

Dr. Kassam kindly agreed to chat with us and describe where he thinks the field of microbiome-based therapy is headed. Among the research under way, he describes one project on ulcerative colitis and another on hepatic encephalopathy in which fecal transplants have brought surprising results.

He recommended two books during our interview, and I’ve linked to their slots on Amazon’s bookshelves below:

Missing Microbes by Martin Blaser

Let Them Eat Dirt by  B. Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire Arrieta

Clinical Conversations comes to you through the NEJM Group. Executive producer, Kristin Kelley.

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