Washed Microbiota Transplantation for Malnutrition

July 6, 2025 updated by: Faming Zhang, The Second Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
Malnutrition is a pathological condition in which dietary intake fails to meet the body's energetic or nutritional needs. It may be caused by macronutrient or micronutrient deficiencies, high energy expenditure, impaired nutrient absorption or assimilation. Malnutrition can affect all stages of life. In adults, malnutrition is strongly associated with poor clinical outcomes such as increased morbidity, increased mortality and prolonged hospitalization. In children, malnutrition can lead to growth retardation, cognitive impairment and immune dysfunction.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The gut microbiota of malnourished patients is different from that of healthy people. The diversity of the gut microbiota of patients with severe malnutrition reduced and the abundance of Proteobacteria significantly increased, as well as pathogenic genera such as Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, Shigella, and Streptococcus. This suggests that gut microbiota plays an important role in the occurrence and development of malnutrition. Dietary intervention targeting gut microbiota can quickly improve children's malnutrition, promote weight gain and increase protein levels that promote bone growth and nerve development. Exclusive enteral nutrition combined with immediate washed microbiota transplantation(WMT) can rapidly improve the nutritional status of patients with Crohn's disease compared with those with delayed WMT. Gut microbiota has been confirmed to be closely related to malnutrition. Improving the disordered gut microbiota in malnourished patients may become a potential treatment.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • China
    • Jiangsu
      • Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
        • Recruiting
        • Department of Microbiota Medicine & Medical Centre for Digestive Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients with malnutrition receiving WMT will be enrolled.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age ≥18 years old;
  2. Meet any of the following two conditions: ①weight loss (>5% weight loss in the past 6 months or >10% weight loss in more than 6 months); ②low BMI (<70 years old and BMI<18.5kg/m2 or ≥70 years old and BMI<22kg/m2);
  3. Underwent washed microbiota transplantation.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Expected survival time <3 months;
  2. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding;
  3. Other patients deemed not suitable for enrollment by the investigator.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
The malnourished undergoing washed microbiota transplantation
patients undergoing washed microbiota transplantation who were diagnosed as malnutrition according to weight loss or low BMI
Procedure: washed microbiota transplantation
The prepared microbiota suspension was infused into the patients' gut.
Other Names:
  • fecal microbiota transplantation
The malnourished not undergoing washed microbiota transplantation
The malnourished patients did not undergo washed microbiota transplantation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
change of the third lumbar vertebrae skeletal muscle mass and height
Time Frame: baseline, 12 weeks post transplantation
The third lumbar vertebrae skeletal muscle mass represents the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the skeletal muscles at the L3 level, including the psoas major, the erector spinae, the quadratus lumborum, the musculus transversus abdominis, the obliquus externus abdominis and the obliquus internus abdominis. Skeletal muscle mass and height will be combined to report the third lumbar vertebrae skeletal muscle mass index(L3 SMI) in cm^2/m^2.
baseline, 12 weeks post transplantation
change of weight and height
Time Frame: baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks post transplantation
Weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m^2.
baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks post transplantation

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
change of the 5-level EuroQoL Group's 5-dimension (EQ-5D-5L)
Time Frame: baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks post transplantation
EQ-5D-5L is a 5-dimension questionnaire measuring health state and each dimension represents the level from 1 to 5, with higher level indicating worse health state.
baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks post transplantation
change of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
Time Frame: baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks post transplantation
PSQI is a self-rated questionnaire which assesses sleep quality over a 1-month time interval. Nineteen items generate seven component scores: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction. The sum of scores for seven components yields one global score, with higher score indicating worse sleep quality.
baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks post transplantation
change of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue)
Time Frame: baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks post transplantation
FACIT-Fatigue is a 13-item test measuring fatigue and each item receives a value from 0 to 4, with higher value indicating worse fatigue state.
baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks post transplantation
change of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale(GSRS)
Time Frame: baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks post transplantation
GSRS is a 13-item test to make a comprehensive assessment of common gastrointestinal symptom and each item receives a value from 0 to 3, with higher value indicating worse gastrointestinal condition.
baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks post transplantation
change of insulin-like growth factor I(IGF-I)
Time Frame: baseline, 12 weeks post transplantation
Blood is tested for Insulin-like growth factor I.
baseline, 12 weeks post transplantation
the difference of the gut microbiota composition before and after washed microbiota transplantation
Time Frame: baseline, 12 weeks post transplantation
The composition of the gut microbiota is evaluated by sequencing faecal metagenome. We evaluate the differences in the structure of the flora and its metabolism.
baseline, 12 weeks post transplantation
the incidence of treatment-related adverse events (AE) assessed by CTCAE, Version 5.0
Time Frame: 12 weeks post transplantation
The severity of AE was graded as mild (grade 1), moderate (grade 2), severe/disabling (grade 3), life threatening (grade 4), and death (grade 5). All AE were divided in definitely, probably and possibly related to treatment. The treatment-related AE we focused on included microbiota-related AEs (e.g., infection, diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc.) and route of delivery related AEs (e.g., nausea, vomiting, etc.).
12 weeks post transplantation

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The Second Hospital of Nanjing Medical University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Faming Zhang, PhD, The Second Hospital of Nanjing Medical University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 17, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 1, 2031

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 19, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 5, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 7, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 10, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 6, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • WMT-MN-2024

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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