RACE: rAndomized controlled trial of Autologous microbiome reconstitution to prevent Colonization by antibiotic rEsistant bacteria

The Section of Geriatrics has partnered with OpenBiome, a non-profit organization devoted to researching the use of fecal microbiota to prevent disease, in this CDC-funded clinical trial. The study aims to determine whether transplantation of a person’s own fecal microbiota after treatment with antibiotics is safe and prevents the occurrence of antibiotic resistant infections in nursing home residents. By mitigating the potential risks of allogenic FMT from universal donors, autologous prophylactic FMT may lead to transformative possibilities in addressing the threat presented by ARB. We envision a future where autologous FMT emerges to enable microbiome reconstitution following antibiotics, reducing the patient, public health, and economic burdens of nosocomial infections, and mitigating the risk of antibiotic resistance.