Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Ulcerative Colitis Using Dai and Han Donors

September 5, 2026 updated by: Yinglei Miao, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Ulcerative Colitis Using Healthy Donors From Yunnan Dai and Han Nationalities: A Randomized Study to Screen Core Metabolites and Key Microbiota

This study is a randomized clinical trial evaluating fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for ulcerative colitis (UC) using healthy donors from two ethnic groups in Yunnan, China. UC is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease causing colon inflammation and ulcers. FMT transfers gut bacteria from a healthy donor to a patient to restore healthy intestinal microbiota.

Previous research suggested that FMT using donors from the Dai ethnic group (a minority nationality in Yunnan with special dietary habits) may achieve better results than Han Chinese donors for UC. This study aims to confirm this finding and understand why.

The investigators will recruit 200 UC patients (ages 18-60) and randomly assign them to two groups (100 each). One group will receive FMT from healthy Han donors; the other from healthy Dai donors. Patients will receive three FMT infusions via endoscopic intestinal tubing. Treatment effects will be assessed at 12 weeks using clinical scores (Mayo score), endoscopic scores (MES), inflammatory markers (fecal calprotectin, CRP, ESR), and intestinal barrier function tests.

Stool samples will also be analyzed using metabolomics and metagenomics to identify key gut bacteria and metabolites linked to better outcomes, and laboratory experiments will be performed to verify how they reduce intestinal inflammation.

The goal is to identify optimal donor characteristics for FMT in UC and uncover mechanisms that may lead to more personalized microbiota therapies.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This randomized, parallel-group clinical study investigates the efficacy and mechanisms of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) using healthy donors from the Dai nationality versus Han nationality for treating ulcerative colitis (UC).

Background: UC is a chronic relapsing inflammatory bowel disease characterized by colonic mucosal inflammation. FMT has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy by reconstructing intestinal microbiota. Preliminary findings indicate that FMT using donors from the Dai ethnic group in Yunnan Province (who have unique dietary and lifestyle habits) may achieve superior clinical remission compared to Han donors. This study aims to validate this observation and identify the core metabolites and key gut microbiota responsible for the enhanced efficacy.

Study Design: A total of 200 UC patients (aged 18-60 years, Mayo score 3-10, left-sided colitis) will be enrolled and randomly allocated into two groups (n=100 each): (1) FMT with healthy Han donors; (2) FMT with healthy Dai donors. Donors will be healthy individuals aged 18-23 years screened according to AGA guidelines.

Intervention: Patients will receive FMT via transendoscopic enteral tubing (TET) at 60 mL per infusion, once every 3 days for a total of 3 times.

Outcome Measures: Primary efficacy is clinical remission at week 12 (Mayo total score ≤2, no individual subscore >1, endoscopic subscore decreased by ≥1 from baseline). Secondary endpoints include Mayo score, MES, histopathology (HE staining), fecal calprotectin, CRP, ESR, and intestinal mucosal barrier function.

Mechanistic Investigations: Donor and recipient stool samples will be collected before FMT and at weeks 1 and 12 post-FMT. Metabolomics (LC-MS/MS, GC-MS) and metagenomic sequencing will identify differential metabolites and key bacterial taxa. Co-occurrence and metabolic complementarity networks will identify keystone species. Correlation analysis will reveal functional microbial groups. In vitro and in vivo experiments will validate the anti-inflammatory effects of identified key bacteria and metabolites.

Significance: This study will elucidate why Dai donors may confer superior FMT outcomes and identify transplantable microbial signatures and bioactive metabolites for UC therapy.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

200

Phase

  • Phase 2

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 Locations

  • China
    • Yunnan
      • Kunming, Yunnan, China, 650032
        • Recruiting
        • Kunming Medical University First Affiliated Hospital
        • Contact:
          • Zihong Chen, MD
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Yinglei Miao, MD

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-60 years
  • Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (left-sided colitis) according to ECCO guidelines and Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis (2023 Xi'an)
  • Baseline Mayo score 3-10
  • Treated only with mesalazine before and during the study to exclude drug interference

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy or planned pregnancy in the near future
  • Patients in clinical remission (Mayo score ≤2 with no individual subscore >1)
  • Development of diseases different from or confounding the initial diagnosis during the study
  • History of toxic megacolon, perianal disease, or intestinal surgery
  • Concurrent severe cardiac, pulmonary, or renal disease, or malignancy

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

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Han Donor FMT Group
Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) receive fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy Han donors aged 18-23 years. FMT is administered via transendoscopic enteral tubing (TET) at 60 mL per session, once every 3 days, for a total of 3 sessions. Only mesalazine is used before and after FMT to exclude drug interference. Clinical efficacy will be evaluated at 12 weeks post-FMT.
Biological: Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT)
Fecal microbiota transplantation using donor stool collected from healthy Han or Dai donors. Donor stool (60 g) is processed using the CleanFMT method with GenFMTer system, including filtration, centrifugation, washing, and resuspension in sterile normal saline (1.5× volume). The final product is 200 mL fecal suspension, administered via TET at 60 mL per session, once every 3 days, for 3 sessions total.
Other Names:
  • FMT; Microbiota transfer
Experimental: Dai Donor FMT Group
Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) receive fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy Dai donors aged 18-23 years from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. FMT is administered via transendoscopic enteral tubing (TET) at 60 mL per session, once every 3 days, for a total of 3 sessions. Only mesalazine is used before and after FMT to exclude drug interference. Clinical efficacy will be evaluated at 12 weeks post-FMT.
Biological: Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT)
Fecal microbiota transplantation using donor stool collected from healthy Han or Dai donors. Donor stool (60 g) is processed using the CleanFMT method with GenFMTer system, including filtration, centrifugation, washing, and resuspension in sterile normal saline (1.5× volume). The final product is 200 mL fecal suspension, administered via TET at 60 mL per session, once every 3 days, for 3 sessions total.
Other Names:
  • FMT; Microbiota transfer

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rate of clinical and endoscopic remission at 12 weeks
Time Frame: 12 weeks after the first FMT session
Proportion of ulcerative colitis patients achieving both clinical and endoscopic remission at 12 weeks after fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) without corticosteroid use. Clinical remission is defined as a total Mayo score ≤2 with no individual subscore >1. Endoscopic improvement is defined as a decrease in the Mayo Endoscopic Subscore (MES) of at least 1 point from baseline. Patients must achieve both criteria simultaneously.
12 weeks after the first FMT session

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mayo Score
Time Frame: Baseline (1 day pre-FMT), 1 week, and 12 weeks post-FMT
Change from baseline in total Mayo score (range 0-12, higher scores indicate more severe disease activity).
Baseline (1 day pre-FMT), 1 week, and 12 weeks post-FMT
Mayo Endoscopic Subscore (MES)
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks post-FMT
Change from baseline in MES (range 0-3, where 0=normal/remission, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe).
Baseline and 12 weeks post-FMT
Histopathological Assessment by HE Staining
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks post-FMT
Histological changes in colonic mucosal biopsies assessed by HE staining.
Baseline and 12 weeks post-FMT
Fecal Calprotectin
Time Frame: Baseline, 1 week, and 12 weeks post-FMT
Change from baseline in fecal calprotectin levels as a marker of intestinal inflammation.
Baseline, 1 week, and 12 weeks post-FMT
C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
Time Frame: Baseline, 1 week, and 12 weeks post-FMT
Change from baseline in serum CRP levels.
Baseline, 1 week, and 12 weeks post-FMT
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
Time Frame: Baseline, 1 week, and 12 weeks post-FMT
Change from baseline in ESR.
Baseline, 1 week, and 12 weeks post-FMT
Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Function
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks post-FMT
Assessment of intestinal mucosal barrier function in UC patients after FMT.
Baseline and 12 weeks post-FMT

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Yinglei Miao, MD, Kunming Medical University First Affiliated Hospital

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)

February 3, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 30, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 5, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 5, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • FMT-IBD-260701

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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