Fecal transplant treatment for auto-brewery (gut fermentation) syndrome
Official title: Fecal microbiota transplantation for auto-brewery syndrome
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11197592 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project gives capsule fecal microbiota transplants to adults with auto-brewery syndrome to try to stop their gut from producing alcohol and causing unexplained intoxication.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 25, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $195,906 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AA031410-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11197592 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older with suspected or diagnosed auto-brewery syndrome who have recurrent unexplained intoxication episodes and can provide stool samples and attend follow-up visits.
✕Less likely to help
People whose symptoms are due to ongoing drinking rather than gut fermentation, pregnant women, or those with severe immune compromise may not be eligible or likely to benefit.
What this research studies
You will provide stool samples so researchers can compare your gut bacteria to household partners because lab tests showed patient samples made more ethanol and antibiotics could stop that production. If eligible, you may receive oral capsules of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) intended to replace the ethanol-producing microbes in your gut. The team will track your symptoms, breath or blood alcohol levels, and stool over time and monitor for side effects. The goal is to see whether FMT can reduce or stop inebriation episodes and be safe and tolerable.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, FMT could reduce or stop ABS flares and lessen the social, legal, and safety consequences of unexplained intoxication.
How similar studies have gone: FMT is an established cure for C. difficile and the investigators report one ABS patient who achieved remission after capsule FMT, but use of FMT for ABS is experimental with very limited published data.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schnabl, Bernd G. — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Schnabl, Bernd G.
Related research
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This research explores if a special type of fecal microbiota transplant, guided by specific gut enzyme activity, can safely and effectively improve symptoms for adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome that developed after an infection.
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This research explores if changing gut bacteria through fecal microbiota transplantation can help immune checkpoint medicines work better for people with solid tumors.
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Using Fecal Microbiota Transplantation and Fiber to Treat Graft-versus-host Disease After Stem Cell Transplants
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.