Swapping germs.

• Autores: Maryn Mckenna
• Localización: Scientific American, ISSN 0036-8733, Vol. 305, Nº. 6, 2011, págs. 34-36
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • In this article the author discusses a potentially beneficial, but unusual treatment, for chronic intestinal diseases. She presents the case of Marion Browning who suffered from chronic diarrhea following treatment with antibiotics for a colon infection, called diverticulitis. The antibiotics killed friendly bacteria and allowed the toxin-producing organism Clostridium difficile to take over and damage the lining of her intestinal tract. Topics include a technique used on Browning, called fecal transplantation, which required inserting stool from someone with healthy intestines into Browning's colon to restore bacterial equilibrium and the regulatory challenges the technique faces for approval.