Correction: In an earlier version of the case, it was stated that the results of the studies will come during the year. It has now been corrected so that the studies will come this year and next year. – Here we have fresh faeces, which we have in a container. Then we add glycerol and salt water, and mix it. Then we have it in a strainer. So that no large pieces are included in a transplant. We owe it to ourselves with salt water, says research nurse Marthe Rasmus. She explains how faeces are processed, stored in syringes and frozen. It must then be used for research purposes. The goal is to find new treatment methods. For around ten years, the University Hospital of Northern Norway’s Harstad department has been researching intestinal flora treatment. During that period, they have built up expertise in the use of fresh faeces in treatment. Now they have received Norway’s first permanent excrement bank for further work. – We have looked at and tested the treatment for irritable bowel diseases, chronic fatigue and morbid obesity. We will now also look at other types of diseases. To be able to carry out this type of research, we must have a stool bank that can ensure the quality of the treatments we will provide in our studies, says doctor and researcher Peter Holger Johansen. . Fresh faeces are sprayed into a larger container. Photo: Børge Hoseth / news It was iHarstad who first wrote about the case. X-factor The researcher says that the faeces bank, or faeces bank as it is actually called, is important. It is to find treatment options for a number of diseases. The treatment method is called fecal transplantation (FMT). – How intestinal flora affects a number of diseases is an x-factor we have overlooked for many years. Perhaps better knowledge of how the intestinal flora contributes to the development of various diseases can lift the treatment to a new level, says Johansen. Facts about the stool bank Norway’s first stool bank has been established at the Medical Department at UNN Harstad. The bank produces quality-assured intestinal flora treatment for research and treatment of critically ill patients with severe diarrheal disease. It is also a cornerstone for further research into intestinal flora treatment for a wide range of diseases. The treatment itself is called faecal transplantation (FMT), and results from studies show that 65% of those who received treatment with FMT experienced an improvement in their stomach complaints, compared to 43% of patients who received a placebo. The method used is to inject gastrointestinal flora from a healthy donor into the intestine of a sick patient. It is to treat a disease associated with a disturbance in the intestinal flora. Facts: Helse Nord It looks at how the intestinal flora affects the development of a number of diseases. Among other things, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Bekhterev’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic fatigue and autoimmune diseases. – It has also been looked at how this form of treatment can perhaps increase the effect of certain types of cancer medication. So there is a wide spectrum where this is an interesting one, he says. Admittedly, it is not the researchers at UNN Harstad who have researched this. Doctor and researcher Peter Holger Johansen. Photo: Børge Hoseth / news Donors needed For all research in the intestinal flora field, the stool bank is a cornerstone. The researchers cannot continue without a program that ensures the quality of the treatment. And to ensure that there is enough poo in the bank, they need more people to come to the hospital in Harstad. That to go to the bathroom and do number two. – That is the job of a donor. We are looking for people who are healthy, of normal weight and between the ages of 16 and 30. Those who wish to contribute can contact us. Then we conduct an interview with the candidate, says doctor and research fellow Linn Skjevling. A donor to the stool bank can register their interest in the same way as a blood donor. It must be said that the requirements are stricter. But just like a blood donor, a stool donor can save lives. – Yes, if you have a specific, serious bacterial infection in the gut, fecal treatment can be life-saving, says the doctor. Among other things, the stool bank will produce quality-assured intestinal flora treatment for research and treatment of critically ill patients with the disease Clostridioides Difficiule infection. It is a severe diarrheal condition. Rita Valle and Marthe Rasmus would like many donors to the stool bank. Preferably donors who come in several times a week. Photo: Børge Hoseth / news 100 percent success The results for those with serious stomach infections who have been given the treatment through research are good. These are patients where they did not reach the goal of antibiotic treatment. With faecal treatment, they have recovered. – We can report 100 percent success the times we have done it. We have had between 15 and 30 patients a year. There will probably be more when we expand and deliver to all the hospitals in Helse Nord, says Johansen. At UNN Harstad, they will soon finish a major study. It can provide an important step for the treatment method. The study focused on people with irritable bowel syndrome. By providing a relatively simple treatment with intestinal flora treatment from a healthy person, a sick person can have the intestinal flora restored. The person can both get better and completely healthy. Doctor and researcher Peter Holger Johansen, doctor and researcher Linn Skjevling and research nurse Marthe Rasmus. Photo: Børge Hoseth / news The results of the studies will come during this and next year. – This means that one may be close to looking at whether this should be offered as a treatment for those with irritable bowel syndrome. Then it is important that we can offer the treatment, if it has a positive effect on this disease. The results so far are promising, says Skjevling.
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Researcher on intestinal flora – news Troms and Finnmark
