Microbiome treatments are taking off
Faecal transplants are just the start of a new sort of medicine
In a small laboratory at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital in London, Désirée Prossomariti is processing donations. Each is weighed, tested for pathogens, filtered, centrifuged and then freeze-dried, before being turned into a powder to be encapsulated and given to patients. The process takes a strong stomach, for the donations are of fresh faecal matter. “I don’t smell it any more,” says Dr Prossomariti.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Gut feelings ”
From the November 11th 2023 edition
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